Demons
by Alena L.A
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Jazmin learns about what it is like to fall in love. She also learns about what love can bring; confusion, heartbreak, betrayal, and or insecurity. But when heartbreak comes along, friends will be there to help, and danger will lurk.
1. Chapter 1: Near Death

**DEMONS**  
Chapter One  
Near Death

The mansion was thousands of years old, but it still stood, as elegant as it was when it was first built. The stone was not faded, nor did it crumble with neglected aging as it should have. And the garden that should have died away was still thriving. Even the grass remained as green as it was when it was young. Many trees surrounded the mansion, giving it a slightly evil look. The buildings that were on the large property were built in the 1200s by Lord Sabaku no Gaara. Back during that time, his mansion was the richest building of all and the most _expensive._ The servants' quarters were located in an entirely separate building than his mansion. In his lifetime, it was unorthodox to have the servants living in the same building as the owner of the property. Things were much different during that time; the rich only married the rich. Some of the rich had medicinal greenhouses as it was the time of healers. In 1212, there was a great family of healers known as the Haruno family, but they died out when the belief of healers diminished.

There were lords and masters during the time Sabaku no Gaara lived in a large country marked by forests. He never married, though he was only eighteen. It was a custom to marry at a young age. Shortly after his eighteenth birthday, he disappeared. His servants remained at the mansion, keeping it alive. They spread stories, saying no one else could live in the mansion. The stories didn't scare anybody away. Other rich men tried to live in the mansion. However, they disappeared, just as the original owner had. After only a few years of this, no one else tried to live in the mansion that would always belong to Sabaku no Gaara. The servants died off and soon there was no one taking care of the buildings, but it kept standing strong. It remained empty for thousands of years, never decaying, never collapsing.

* * *

She looked at the mansion from the rusted iron gates that kept anyone from driving up the driveway. The stories her mother told her had her wondering. However, she was mostly looking at it because it was so beautiful. She ran her fingers over the small gold plate on the stone wall. _The Sabaku Mansion_, it read. It was the only part of the entire gate structure that didn't look old. The sun shone off of the golden plate, making it seem as if it was just bolted to the stone. Her mother told her that even though Sabaku no Gaara was dead - disappeared, then presumed dead - no one could live on the property. They all disappeared like him. After all these years, no one has even tried to live on his property, not to mention, no one is allowed to; the property is marked off as private property, though nobody owns it.

Her eyes ran over the mansion again as she admired its elegance. It was thousands of years old and yet, it still stood. That fact amazed her. The wind blew around her and through the old trees, singing a song. No one cared about the beauty of the property. No, they cared about the "ghost" stories. She didn't understand how someone could only want to hear the "ghost" stories when the most beautiful mansion sat behind the iron gates. Behind the mansion, at the edge of the back of the property, was the beginning of a desert. Rare roses grew on that small patch of desert that was included in his property. "How can one place be so magnificent?" she asked herself. It seemed impossible for such a place to exist and yet, here it was in front of her.

If the design had been his idea, he was brilliant and knew the true meaning to beauty and elegance. Jazmin turned away from the mansion and headed back home; her mother would be wondering where she was soon. She hadn't told her mother that she looked at the Sabaku mansion some days after school. It intrigued her; the strange atmosphere it had. It was filled with secrets - some good, some bad. But who really knew? There were so many missing pieces to the puzzle, but Jazmin had no time to think about them at the time. "Jaz! Where have you been? Our guests will be here in _ten_ minutes!" her mother frantically pushed her towards her bedroom. Jazmin, who had forgotten about the guests, changed from her school uniform to a slightly white long sleeved blouse and black pants. She let her golden blond hair out of the ponytail so it fell over her shoulders. Quickly, she brushed through it and applied some gray eye shadow lightly on her top eyelid. After putting a thin line of eyeliner on the bottom, she was done.

Jazmin was pretty, but she wasn't perfect or flawless. No one could be perfect. But what were her flaws? Her bright blue eyes were emphasized with her caramel colored skin, no flaw there. It wasn't her appearance that was flawed. Perhaps it was her outlook on life. She didn't believe that school - or work - was the most important thing. The most important thing was the beauty of the world and being able to capture it without harming it. Maybe that was her flaw. Who can say for sure? "Jazmin! Are you done yet? Our guests are here!" her mother from outside of her door. She opened the door and saw her mother wearing black and white cocktail dress. Her black hair was up in a formal bun and her dark green eyes showed how nervous she was. Unlike Jazmin, she was ivory skinned.

"Yes, mother," she replied to her mother. She didn't look much like her mother; she looked more like her father, who died when she was twelve. The two of them walked out into the living room where the guests were waiting. Inuzuka Kiba, age seventeen, the quarterback of the high school's football team. Inuzuka Hana, age nineteen, a college cheerleader. And Inuzuka Tsume, age thirty-six, the veterinarian of the town. This was no social visit, though. Jazmin's mother funded the animal hospital that Tsume used. She was, after all, the head of the hospital. Hana was trying to get a job as an intern in the hospital, but the choice was up to Chiyo. She sat on one of the chairs across from the Inuzuka family. Jazmin sat in the chair beside her.

"Thank you for coming, Tsume," Chiyo spoke in a formal tone. The woman gave a nod. "And Hana, it is a pleasure to meet you . . ." Her mother went on and on speaking to the two - Tsume and Hana - but Jazmin wasn't really paying attention. Her mind was on why Hana's younger brother, Kiba, was at the house too. Then again, _she_ was there and there really was no reason for her to be. Kiba was an athletic boy with spiky brown hair, brown eyes, and tan skin. He was one of the guys that girls tripped over their feet for. Hana looked like her younger brother, except her nose was slightly pointier. Her long brown hair was usually put in a ponytail. Jazmin remembered when she was at the high school; she was the most popular cheerleader. It surprised her to hear that she was still a cheerleader.

Chiyo, in the end, decided that Hana could work at the animal hospital. However, she could not be involved in treating the animals until she finished her first year of college. Jazmin watched as her mother shook their hands and showed them to the door. She was being thanked by Hana, but Jazmin's attention was on something else. Kiba looked as if he was going to be sick. When Tsume noticed this, a look of horror appeared on her face. "Oh, dear," she said in a voice that didn't give away her horror. "I really should get Kiba home. He is looking quite ill. Thank you so much, Chiyo. I'm so sorry to rush out like this." Jazmin watched as Tsume rushed her children to the car and sped off.

"Jazmin, it's late. You should get to bed," her mother walked towards the kitchen. Jazmin said nothing as she walked to her room. She had never been close to her mother, but she did what she could to seem close to her. It was harder than it sounded because Jazmin had different interests than Chiyo. She tried her hardest to sleep, but sleep would not claim her. Perhaps it was because her mind was on overdrive, thinking of several things at once. Her mind was mostly on the mansion. What she wouldn't give to be even closer to it, to be able to run her hands over the still smooth stone of the wall. Still, the beauty of the house left her baffled.

_She_ _ran her fingers over the silk curtains, admiring the color of them. Crimson red; they were beautiful. The inside of the mansion was even better than the outside, if that was even possible. How could someone know so much about true beauty? It was the question that ran through her mind many times. And that brought another question to mind. Why couldn't _more_ people know of true beauty? So much was lost over the thousands of years that this place has existed. It was the true definition of perfection, elegance, and magnificence. If only she could know the owner, know the brilliant mind who designed it all. She would give her life to be able to see things just as he had. How _had _he seen everything? What did the world look like through his eyes? It was too bad there would never be answers to those questions._

Jazmin opened her eyes and realized that she was going to be late for school. Moving as quickly as she could, she readied herself for the day. Luckily, she made it outside just before the bus moved on to the next house. "Jaz! You made it!" Sakura exclaimed as the blond haired girl sat next to her. Haruno Sakura was known for her crazy beliefs, but that didn't stop her from voicing them. Everybody knew that the Haruno family used to be a family of healers. They didn't believe they were anymore, though. Sakura always voiced that her family members were still healers. No one listened. Except for Jazmin, that is. "Did you look at the Sabaku mansion again yesterday? You know, I think your interest is turning into an obsession."

"No, it's not. I just feel drawn to the place, is all," Jazmin said in a brooding manner. "I don't know. The place is just so beautiful. How can you not stare at it?"

"I do just fine. I think it's creepy," Sakura shivered, which ended the conversation about the old property. Her expression turned bleak. "Did you know that Naruto is moving away soon? I asked him why, but he wouldn't tell me. 'I just have to,' he said to me. What am I going to do without him? He cheers me up when I'm sad and now he's leaving."

"That's kind of sudden. I wonder why he's moving away so suddenly. Don't look so sad. He's not gone yet," Jazmin looked at her friend's depressed expression. Sakura wouldn't admit it, but she was in love with the loud blue eyed boy. Jazmin even thought that Naruto felt the same way. However, now he was leaving without even telling Sakura where or why. That certainly would cause Sakura pain. "Sakura . . ."

"Don't," she stopped her friend from speaking any more. "He's leaving and he's not changing his mind. He is _definitely_ leaving, no matter what. Telling him . . . would only make it harder. Not only would I have to deal with losing a friend, I would have to deal with rejection." Still, it was admitting it, but it was pretty close. Jazmin watched as Sakura's expression changed to one that seemed emotionless. They arrived at the school only moments after Sakura had gone quiet.

It was true. Everybody was talking about the famous class clown, Naruto, moving away. Every time Sakura heard someone talking about the fact, her face would twist into a pained expression. Jazmin tried to comfort the pink haired girl, but it was impossible. There was so much commotion in the school that it was easy for Sakura to hide from everyone, including Naruto. Jazmin watched as Sakura snuck away from the crowd to let her tears fall once again.

* * *

She never let anybody see her cry. Most high school students believed that crying was a weakness. So she hid. No one should find her; or so she thought. "Sakura," the soft voice broke the silence, making her jump. Her eyes met the one who broke the silence, the one that she had come to love so much. "I don't . . . understand. Why are you avoiding me? Do you know how hard it was to find you?"

"Naruto, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make it seem like I was avoiding you," she sniffled and wiped the tears from her eyes. Naruto stepped close to Sakura, closer than he had ever been to her. "Naruto?"

"I apologize. I wish - you have no idea how much - I could tell you, but telling you would be endangering and I promised never to do so. Sakura, you are my closest friend. I never expected you to react like this of my departure, though," he spoke quietly, his breath hit her face. She was frozen to the very spot she stood. Naruto's hands rested on either side of Sakura's head and his body was almost touching hers, keeping her against the wall. "I wanted - still do - to protect you."

Sakura leaned up so their lips were almost touching. He made no move to push her away. "If you want to protect me, don't go. Stay with me," she whispered and let her lips press against his. There was hesitation, but he kissed her back, the caution remaining. When they pulled away, a small smile appeared on Sakura's face. "I love you, Naruto."

"I . . . I love you too," he said in a small voice. His eyes were still closed. "But I have to tell you something."

* * *

Jazmin stared wide eyed at her pink haired friend. "He said he loved you! That's great!" she said in a happy tone, but she saw Sakura's expression. She looked unsure of herself and troubled. "What's wrong, Sakura? I thought that would be a good thing? Did you tell him you love him too? Sakura! Why do you look so troubled?" Sakura didn't answer right away. How was she to explain?

"I did . . . tell him, but it's different now. He's . . . Well, I don't know how to explain it. I wish I could say it. He is . . . No . . . He's _not_ what I thought he was," Sakura tried to explain. Jazmin stared at her in confusion. "Okay . . . It's not as simple as it used to be. Before we told each other, it was just that. A girl and a boy who loved each other. But now . . . it's much more than that. I'm sorry I'm confusing you, but I don't know how else to explain it."

"Don't worry about it, Sakura. And if you love Naruto, you should give him a chance. Everything will always be complicated," Jazmin tried to give Sakura advice, but she didn't know the situation and everything that Sakura had said was confusing. Why was it different now? What made it different? She looked around the lunchroom looking for the face of Naruto. He was sitting alone, staring at his food without eating it. Jazmin could tell that he was upset; his expression was filled with despair. She looked back at Sakura. "Whatever made it different, I'm sure you can get through it. I know it may be difficult, but what is life without a little difficulty?"

"I suppose you have a point," Sakura said in a quiet voice. But she didn't move. Jazmin didn't think it through anymore. There must be a lot that Sakura had to think of. Still, Jazmin couldn't help but wonder. Why was it suddenly so difficult?

It started to rain in the middle of the day. Sakura did not speak of Naruto, nor did she look at him. It seemed that both were ashamed of something, but Jazmin could not figure out what they would be ashamed of. She couldn't ask either of them; she wouldn't receive an answer. It would always remain in her mind, though. By the end of the day, it was pouring rain. Jazmin walked out into the rain without an umbrella or over her head. She was looking for Sakura, but when she saw her talking to Naruto, she didn't bother walking up to her. So she started walking home. As she was thinking, a scream interrupted her thoughts and she immediately ran in the direction of the scream.

She stopped at the gates to the Sabaku mansion. There was a group of girls there, cowering in fear. Jazmin walked up to one of them. "The popular kids . . . They threw her mother's necklace over the gates. She had to go get it," the girl explained in a terrified voice. Jazmin looked at the fence before making her decision. She started climbing over the gates since there was a locked chain around the gates. As soon as her feet hit the ground, she ran in the direction of the second scream.

In the distance, she could see a hooded figure standing over the girl, Akina. She had a terrified look on her face as she looked at the stranger. Jazmin ran as fast as she could to reach the two. She watched in horror as a long knife slid out from the sleeve of the figure. As the person raised it, Jazmin reached Akina and slid in front of her. "No!" she yelled. Mud stained her uniform socks, shoes, and skirt. The figure froze for a moment. Jazmin could not see the face of the person; the hood cast a dark shadow over it. Even though she couldn't see the person's face, she could sense the hesitation. They lowered the blade and held up their other hand. Jazmin could see the faint shimmer a necklace; it was the reason Akina had climbed over the gates.

The girl was too afraid to take the necklace from the stranger. Sensing this, Jazmin slowly raised one of her shaky hands to take the necklace in her fingers. The hand dropped and the figure disappeared into the shadows. Both girls stared at where the person had disappeared, soaked and frozen - both out of fear and because the rain had cooled their temperature. Jazmin was the first one to speak. "Let's go!" she urged the other girl to her feet and both of them ran to the gates.

"Akina! Akina! Are you okay!" the girls crowded the girl once she was on the other side of the gates. Jazmin began to walk away, only to be stopped by Akina. She wore a grateful expression.

"Thank you. If you had not decided to come, I would be dead. You risked your own life. Thank you," she whispered. Jazmin only nodded before continuing on her way home. She did not mention her "adventure" to her mother. No, but she was thinking about it. The thing that bothered her most was when the person hesitated. Why did her presence make the person hesitate? Why hadn't they killed both of them? And more importantly, why had her arrival stopped them from killing? Perhaps killing _two_ people would have been too much. Perhaps when Jazmin showed up, they thought more people were willing to come onto the property, which made it difficult to keep from being caught. Still, Akina and Jazmin could _tell _somebody about the incident. What if police decided to investigate? Jazmin shook her head. There were too many questions and it was too late to think of answers. Turning off her light, Jazmin decided not to dwell on the questions for the time being.


	2. Chapter 2: Meeting Him

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Two  
Meeting Him

Jazmin was now known as the school hero. Her courage to save Akina made her known by the "popular" kids and guys now wanted to get to know her. But she didn't shy away from Sakura. The pink haired girl would always be her number one friend. Sakura must have made up with Naruto because he was sitting with them at lunch. They were talking - even laughing - together. "Naruto's staying!" Sakura cheered. This confused Jazmin. What changed? "Isn't it great Jazmin? Our awesome friend is staying here with us!"

"Yes. That is great," Jazmin said, carefully keeping the suspicion out of her voice. Had Naruto first decided to leave because of Sakura? And now, because of Sakura, he was staying. Why? Sure, it was great news. Sure, Sakura wouldn't have to deal with the pain of Naruto leaving. But why had Naruto decided to leave? What changed? Jazmin could tell by the way the two were interacting, that she was missing something - or _the _thing really. She stood, earning looks of confusion from the two. "Lunch is almost over. I need to ask the teacher something before class starts, so I might as well go now. But I'll talk to you two later." With that, Jazmin left her two friends to finish their lunches alone.

She wasn't going to the class early; she was going to the library. The high school library had an extensive history of the town and she wanted to look for the book that always seemed to be checked out. As she walked through the door, the librarian looked up and smiled. "Here again, Jazmin? Looking through the books about the Sabaku mansion again?" she asked with a kind smile. Jazmin merely shook her head. That wasn't what she wanted to see this time. She walked through the aisles of books searching for the correct section. When she found it, she was surprised to see someone else there.

"Kiba?" she spoke before she could stop herself. Said boy looked up from the book he was reading - the book she was looking for. He looked different from the last time she had seen him. Realizing that he was waiting for her to say something, she stopped staring. "What are you . . . ?"

"I think I could ask you the same thing," he said, snapping the book shut. He held it against his chest. "Looking up things about the Sabaku mansion, right? If you were smart, you would stay as far away from that place as you possibly could. It's not as wonderful as you think." Jazmin's eyes narrowed.

"Getting caught up in the stories, are you? Well, maybe you need to grow up," she said, crossing her arms over her chest. Kiba's eyes darkened and became narrow like hers. Jazmin could tell that she upset him, but she cared none. "What is it Kiba? Can't stand that a girl isn't swooning over you?" Her words made him clench his teeth. He shook slightly and his eyes were closed.

"You talk like you know everything, but you _don't_. You know _nothing_," he growled. His eyes opened and Jazmin watched as they changed color slightly - from light brown to a very dark brown. She knew that his shaking was tied to his changing eye color. Naturally, fear began to pulse through her, but she was never one to run when she was afraid. The incident on the other side of the Sabaku mansion gates proved so. Kiba kept shaking for a few minutes before finally calming down. His eyes turned back to their original color. "Stay away from me."

With that, he walked away, the book in his hands. Jazmin sighed and walked towards the exit. Kiba was checking the book out, so there was no point in remaining in the library. Once the fear had diminished, anger took its place. _How dare he speak to me like that! _She thought angrily. What gave him the right to be so rude? And why had he reacted like that? Surely it wasn't that big of a deal that she was interested in the mansion. She hated Kiba for making her feel so angry.

Kiba wasn't at school for the rest of the week. Not that Jazmin cared any, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was because of her. The next week, when she saw him, she felt anger boiling up inside of her. Yes, she was still angry about the way he had spoken to her. She sat in the library trying to keep her mind off of her anger, which wasn't very hard with the book of legends. It was one of the very old books that couldn't be checked out by students. She was so involved in the book that she didn't notice someone walk up to her until they sat down next to her. Her eyes met Kiba's, which reminded her of her anger. "What do you want?" she snapped. There was no sign of agitation on his face. In fact, it looked dazed and numb. His soft eyes softened her expression.

"I want to apologize. I should not have spoken to you like that. But I did mean it when I said stay away from me," his words made Jazmin's expression harden once again. She closed the book she had been reading and stood to place it back on the shelf.

"I am not the one who initiated this conversation. You are. I understand; you're apologizing. However, I may not want to accept your apology," she held her chin up as she began to walk away from the boy. "And you don't have to worry about me staying away from you. I will."

"You don't understand," he whispered. She wasn't supposed to hear him, but she did. Quicker than he could even realize, she spun around to glare at him. Her glare was sharp and could cut glass.

"I don't _understand_? What the _hell_ is that supposed to mean? What don't I understand? Maybe it's _you_ who doesn't understand," she saw the anger flash in his eyes and immediately drew back.

"There you go again assuming you know everything. You don't understand my reason for telling you to stay away from me."

"Because you dislike me?" her words made him calm down. The anger disappeared from his expression.

"No. No, that's not it at all." The anger and hatred that Jazmin felt, slowly began to melt away. Now she was confused and she hated to admit it, she didn't understand.

"Then . . . why?"

"I can't . . . explain. All I can say is that . . . it's better for you."

"Who are _you_ to tell me what's better for me?" she childishly put her hands on her hips. A small smile graced his lips. "What do you find so amusing?"

"You're acting childish," he pointed out. Jazmin rolled her eyes.

"Me? Childish? I'm not the one telling someone to stay away from me and sitting here talking to them," it came out as a scoff and her childish behavior was gone. Kiba sighed.

"It's not childish. I have a valid reason for doing so."

"A reason that you won't tell me."

"Right."

"Well, I can't accept that. I hate unanswered questions. And the fact that you've waved one right in front of me with the intent of leaving it that way makes it even harder to accept."

"Jazmin, don't."

"Too late," she shook off his attempt to stop her. "You've already tempted me to figure out the reason. And I will."

"You won't," he spoke in a firm tone, but there was a hint of a challenge in his tone. Jazmin smirked and turned to leave.

"We'll see."

* * *

She stared at the mansion again. It was as if she was magnetically drawn to the place. No matter how hard she tried to stay away, she couldn't. The beauty of it kept bringing her back. But it was different this time. She knew someone was beyond the gates, hiding, and she had to know who. Without thinking, she climbed over the gates and quietly stepped on the ground of the other side of the wall. When her feet touched the ground, she realized what she had done, but she couldn't turn back. Not knowing where she had planned to go, she went to the spot where she had found Akina and the figure.

But it was silent and there was no sign of anybody around. She stood at the very spot that she had ruined her previous school uniform. Looking around, she started to wonder why she had decided to trespass. What had drawn her to this very spot? Something kept picking at the bottom of her stomach, telling her to leave. However, that made her stay; she had never run from her fear, nor had she ever let herself be consumed by fear. "Who are you?" she asked out loud, but she wasn't expecting an answer.

"Why do you want to know?" the voice came from the shadows. It rang with a smooth perfection. Jazmin tried to find where the voice had come from, but the trees kept whoever had spoken hidden. The person was there, she could sense them and her eyes continued to look around her. Still, she could not find the person. "Are you going to answer my question or are you going to continue to try to find me? I feel obligated to warn you that it is pointless to even try." Jazmin listened to the voice carefully, trying to pinpoint exactly where the stranger was.

"Why are you hiding?" she asked, trying to keep the stranger talking; a way of locating them and keeping herself alive. A low chuckle came from the shadows.

"I must respond to your question with another question; why are you so sure I am hiding?" Every time the person spoke, the voice was in a different location. But she couldn't hear any footsteps. Whoever it was, kept her turning in circles. "Hmm. Still trying to find me?" It was a man; a man was speaking to her. She stopped trying to keep track of the voice.

"If you aren't hiding, why are you in the shadows?" her question made him chuckle again. _Was this a game to him? _She thought.

"Someone once said to me, 'Your identity is your most precious possession.' I am merely protecting my possession," he was amused, she could tell. Closing her eyes, she focused. She had the uncanny ability to sense where people were. That is, if she focused hard enough. In her head, she could see a map of the small area. Listening and focusing, she pinpointed where he was. "Interesting." He moved, quicker than she could even comprehend. Her eyes snapped open.

"What's interesting?" she snapped. It angered her that he seemed to be able to read her, like an open book. Even without knowing her, he seemed to be able to read her. She thought he had left, but she was surprised when she heard a chuckle.

"What is interesting is that if I stay in one place long enough, you will be able to sense my location. How strange that is. I have never seen an ability such as yours," his voice was speculative; he was curious. Perhaps more curious than was safe for Jazmin. She became unsure of herself and glanced towards the gates. It was too far to run; she wouldn't be able to outrun this person. He seemed to understand her glance; he chuckled. "Scared? Not that it matters. It would be a waste to kill you, let alone _hurt_ you."

"A waste?" she asked in a numb tone. She didn't want to push it, but it was a strange way of saying 'I'm not going to kill you.'

"Do not take it as a sign of affection. I merely am interested in what you can do," there were shuffling sounds, deliberate shuffling sounds, right behind her. She spun around, but he wasn't visible. He was a simple silhouette. Jazmin stared at the shadow cautiously. "You stand outside of the gates almost every day and stare at the mansion. Is it the stories or the mansion itself?"

"The mansion itself; the stories do not interest me," she replied, keeping her guard up. "The entire property is the true definition of beauty. It is elegant and shows that the one who designed it was brilliant." The silhouette didn't move, which made her wonder if that was really him, but when he spoke again, it confirmed that it was.

"Good. Then I see no reason in trying to frighten you," his voice was firm, but there was some hidden disappointment, as if he _enjoyed_ frightening others. Jazmin tried to ignore the feeling of fright in the pit of her stomach. Before she could say a word, he spoke again. "Instead of climbing over the entry gates again - because it is obvious - why don't you take the door on the east side of the property? I will lock it behind you. So many have tried to get through that door. Unlike you, they usually do not climb over the gates."

"Unlike the others, I am too curious," she mumbled. The silhouette moved slightly as he chuckled.

"Curiosity killed the cat."

"No, stupidity killed the cat; curiosity was framed," another chuckle left his lips. She turned towards the east side of the property. Even though he made no sound, she knew he was following her. "I'm leaving."

"So soon?" from the tone of his voice, it seemed like he was teasing her.

"I didn't know that you liked my company," she kept walking, trying to ignore the fact that she was being followed by a stranger.

"Was that a sarcastic comment? Because if it was, I must say that it was unnecessary," he spoke so different than anybody she had ever spoken to or even heard.

"Why do you speak formally?" she asked, pausing, waiting for the answer.

"It is just the way I speak. Whether you believe so or not, you speak in a way similar to the way I speak," he pointed out. Jazmin started walking again and scoffed. "It is true. While you may not believe it, it does not change the fact that it is true."

"Maybe it's just because I was talking to you."

"No, it came too easily for you."

"That's enough. You don't know me well enough to make such assumptions," she snapped as she approached the door. Without hesitating, she reached for the handle.

"Wait."

"What?"

"Are you truly drawn to this place?" his question wasn't sarcastically said, nor was it said in a teasing manner. He was truly interested in the answer. Jazmin didn't respond right away. Was it alright to tell him yes? Or should she lie?

"No."

He chuckled. "You should learn to lie better. You may fool others, but you do not fool me," he spoke before she felt him leave her at the door alone. Lying had always been easy for her; it had to be. She had to be able to tell her mother that she wasn't still sad about her father's death; that she was doing alright. Sakura was right. Her interest in the mansion had turned into an obsession.

It was impossible for her to stay away from the mansion, though. Some days after school, she would stand outside of the gates and just stare. After her encounter with the stranger, she had not climbed over the gates again. Fear got the best of her. She was too afraid that he might change his mind about hurting her. Why hadn't she told anyone? Whoever it was had been hiding inside the walls of the property for who knows how long without anybody knowing. _And_ not to mention, the police did not want to get involved with anything that had to do with the Sabaku property. Jazmin couldn't believe how much the place drew her in.

When she wasn't focusing on the mansion, she was trying to figure out Kiba's reason for telling her to stay away from him. He would avoid her, warn her that it was better for her, but she ignored every one of his attempts. It wasn't as if he tried very hard to keep her away. However, she suspected the reason for that was because he wanted to keep her from the Sabaku property. It wasn't possible, though. There was no way for her to stay away. She paid attention to Kiba's warnings, but she did not listen to them; she returned to the gates of the property to stare at the beauty. It was too beautiful to be filled with evil, she believed.

"That's the point!" Kiba yelled after she had voiced her belief. He shook slightly, but he calmed himself down before speaking again. "You say the designer was brilliant because of the beauty and magnificence of the place, but he was _evil. _It was meant to be beautiful; it was meant to draw people in. Do you know the _true _work of the owner, Sabaku no Gaara? Do you know _why_ he created the place? He was a _sociopath_ who wanted to cause others pain! He lured people to the mansion and _tortured _them! And after torturing them, he brutally _murdered_ them! That's why there are ghost stories! That entire place is damned as is he!"

"He's dead. What's the big deal?" the way she asked the question made Kiba shudder. He did not know how to convince her to stay away from the property.

"Jazmin, even after he was _dead_, men disappeared and most likely died! It's just . . . safer to stay away from a place like that," he lowered his voice and sighed. "There are just some things that can't be explained, shouldn't be explained; some things that you just don't want to know."

"I find that untrue. _Everything _can be explained, whether it is complicated or simple, it can be explained. And I do not like when someone leaves me with unanswered questions. I do not care what it takes, I will find the answers to the questions," she crossed her arms over her chest. Kiba began to shudder. Jazmin watched as he tried to calm himself down. She noticed that he shook a lot when he was upset. "Why do you do that?"

"What?"

"Shake when you are upset," she noticed how his eyes darkened by the mention of that. It must be tied to the reason why he told her to stay away from him. "And if I am correct, I believe it is tied to your reason of telling me to stay away."

"Most people would listen."

"Like I once said to someone, 'Unlike the others, I am too curious,'" she quoted herself from that day with the stranger. Kiba glared at the table.

"Yeah? And curiosity killed the cat," upon hearing that, she smiled. The other one had said something similar, if not the same. He looked up at her smile.

"Stupidity killed the cat, curiosity was framed."

"Perhaps it was both."

"Fine, Kiba. If you _really_ want me to walk away and stay away from you, then look me in the eye and say so. If you _really_ want me to give up, tell me to. If this is a total waste of your time, just say so," she said in a firm tone. He looked at her with a blank expression on his face. Nothing was said. "Do you want me to walk away, Kiba? Do you want me to stay away from you? Do you want me to put my curiosity behind me?"

"No, no, and yes," he answered her questions in order. She gave him a light glare.

"I meant about _you_, not the Sabaku property."

"Then no."

"Alright then."

"It doesn't change the fact that I want you to put your curiosity of the Sabaku mansion behind you."

"Okay, but I won't."

"I'll keep trying to convince you otherwise."

"You'll be unsuccessful."

"We'll see."


	3. Chapter 3: The Lure

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Three  
The Lure

"My name is Temari and I am looking for Caen Chiyo," the blond haired woman spoke in a soft perfecting ringing voice. Her looks were just as perfect as her voice. Her short shining golden hair was parted on the right side of her forehead and the bangs swept over her face. Kohl was applied thickly to her eyes, giving her look of seduction. Her eyelashes were lengthened with mascara. There was too much innocence in her dark teal eyes and her skin was too pale - almost translucent. A smile was on her face, but it didn't appear right. Jazmin walked up to the woman and decided to speak for the receptionist that was speechless.

"What do you want with Chiyo?" she asked in a firm and slightly sharp tone. Temari looked at her with a glare that could kill, but it didn't faze Jazmin at all. She stared at her for a few minutes, her expression changing to agitation.

"I need to speak to her."

"And what would this be referring to?" Jazmin was asking all the question the receptionist should. Temari sighed.

"A position at the hospital," she spoke in a sharp tone.

Jazmin pulled her cell phone out of her pocket. "Let me see what I can do to get you an appointment with her," she said in a formal voice. Walking away she spoke to her mother about the woman. It took only a few minutes for her mother to agree to a quick appointment. Jazmin walked back to Temari. "Chiyo has agreed to meet with you. Take the elevator to the fifth floor and tell them you are a walk in appointment." Jazmin watched as the woman walked gracefully towards the elevator. Strange woman.

* * *

A job at the animal hospital; she didn't need it to support herself, but there were other means for taking the job. Tossing those thoughts aside, she focused on climbing over the gates to the Sabaku mansion. She did it effortlessly and quicker than anybody else would have. As soon as her feet touched the ground, she heard a snarl. "Is that any way to greet me? We have not seen each other in years," she said putting her hands on her hips. He walked out from the shadows; he would only reveal himself to her, for she already knew what he looked like.

"You are not staying here long, are you?" he asked in an unkind tone. He did not want her near this town. She merely rolled her eyes and smirked. She was no longer afraid of him.

"Yes, I am. Maybe a few years or so. What? You don't want me?"

"No. Leave. Now."

"I can't. I have a job at the animal hospital to start tomorrow."

"That is disgusting!"

"Just because _you_ don't approve of my lifestyle doesn't mean it is disgusting. I think _your_ lifestyle is disgusting. But who am I to judge?"

"_Leave_!" he growled.

"Nope. I have things to do. Why do you want me to leave here so badly?"

"That is none of your business!"

"Hmm. Is it because you have taken an interest in something? Or _someone_?" her eyes became alarmed. "You know how dangerous that is, right? You haven't revealed yourself, have you? Tell me you _have not_ revealed yourself to _anybody_! Tell me!"

"I have not. Now leave."

"I don't want to. You have never tried to get me to leave this much. I believe I am going to stay and figure out what you don't want me to know," she was slammed against the wall of the property, his hand around her throat.

"You seem to forget," he said squeezing her throat tighter. "That _I_ am stronger than _you._ If you were smart, you would walk away right now. You _should_ walk away right now. Forget me; forget this mansion; forget this _town_. _Leave. Now_." For the first time in years, Temari was afraid of him. She gave him a nervous smile and he let go of her throat.

"I can't leave the town, but I will leave your business alone," she said. Never had she seen him so angry. She would definitely do anything to keep him from getting any angrier.

* * *

_She stepped towards the edge of the mountain. It was obvious what she was planning to do. She was looking to jump from it; kill herself. "Do not jump off of the mountain," a voice ordered her; a smooth, perfect voice. But she ignored him and stepped even closer. Only when arms wrapped around her torso did she stop. "I said _do not_ jump off of the mountain." His touch was so cold and she could tell by looking down at his arms that he was pale._

"_I want to. Let me go," she said, trying to escape his grasp, but he was stronger than her. He refused to let her go. Angry that he would not let go, she screamed; a loud high-pitched scream that hurt his sensitive ears. He released her and staggered backwards. Taking this as her chance, she jumped. She fell, the white nightgown flowing behind her. The water became closer and closer, but she didn't hit it the way she expected to. Something hit her side and she went in head first. For several moments, she remained underwater; then she was pulled to the surface and to the small - very small - strip of beach at the bottom. She lay on something cold, something that felt like a body. As she went to try and see _who_ had foiled her plan, a hand covered her eyes. "What the hell?"_

"_I told you not to jump off the mountain and you jump. So what was I to do? Let you die? No, I had to do something," he said in a breathless voice. She struggled against his grip again, but he didn't release her. "Do not scream again. I did not appreciate the last time." Instead of screaming - because she couldn't - she merely relaxed in his arms. He sat up; her back was against his chest and his hand was still over her eyes._

"_Why are you covering my eyes?"_

"_I am protecting my identity."_

"_I want to know who you are."_

"_Then come back to the mansion."_

Jazmin's eyes snapped open and she sat straight up. There it was again; trying to pull her back. How did it do something like that? Of course, there was the fact that she did want to know who he was, but it was impossible to find out. It was Saturday; Saturday. That didn't help her any. She had nothing to do all day. It was inevitable that the mansion would draw her closer. And that's exactly what happened. She had been a robot when she had gotten ready. Without even realizing it, she was standing in front of the gates. In her head, she cursed herself for being so attracted to this place. It hit her then. _I _want _to be risky. I _want_ to disobey his warnings._ Her fingers softly ran over the bars of the gates. As she was running her fingers over the bars, she heard a deliberate noisy footstep on the inside. "It has been awhile," he spoke as if he was speaking to an old friend.

"Mm, yes, it has. I have been busy," she sighed. "Or perhaps I was avoiding the place. Perhaps I've grown afraid of it. Perhaps I've begun to think it is dangerous."

"And yet, you cannot stay away," his voice gave away his smirk. That was when she felt it. He was trying to lure her to the place. He _wanted _her to be drawn to it. He _wanted_ her to ignore the warnings and stories. The sense of danger filled her to her very core. Still, she could not walk away. A true effective lure. "Why have you not climbed over the gates again? I must say, I am truly surprised you have not. After you had gotten away with the first time, I expected there to be more times."

"It's safer for me on _this _side," she stated. A chuckle left his lips. "Do you mind explaining that chuckle?"

"I do not," he replied. "You said it was safer. In reality, that is untrue. Safer would be away from this place; safe would be _far_ away from this place. However, what makes you think that I could not - if I wanted to - go after you beyond these walls?"

"Why haven't you?"

"Are you expecting me to?"

"Should I?"

There was silence. Jazmin looked towards the shadow that was him. "No," he finally said in a quiet voice. But the reply did not comfort her. There was more behind the answer than she expected. She wrapped her fingers around a bar of the gate. "You are curious."

"No."

"You want to know who I am."

"No, I don't."

"Then why are you here?"

"The mansion."

"It is no longer about the mansion," he said in a low husky voice. Jazmin started to let go of the bar, but a pale hand shot out from the shadows to grab hers. She gasped. "Stay."

"You're dangerous."

"Yes."

"I should stay away from you."

"Yes."

"But you want me . . . to stay."

". . . Yes."

"Why should I?"

"You should not."

"Then why would I stay?" the hand that held hers was cooling her hand. She couldn't see his face, but she could hear his steady breathing; he was thinking.

"You want to touch the mansion, want to see it up close," he stated as if she had told him. Her eyes widened. "I will let you. You can see all of it. The entire property. You do not even have to climb over the gates. I will unlock the door for you."

"Jazmin!" a deep voice came. The pale hand tore away from hers and she heard him leave. Instantly, she wished that she _had_ climbed over the gates. She turned to look at the person who had called her name; Kiba. "Jazmin! _What_ are you _doing_? Do I really have to beg you to stay away from this place? Because if that's what it will take, I'll be happy to do it."

Jazmin gathered herself together and started walking towards her house. "I told you. You will be unsuccessful in convincing me to stay away from here."

"Why? Why do you feel the need to come here?" he gave her a pained expression. "Would you _please_ just . . . stay away from here for a few days?"

Jazmin's expression turned cold. "I have told you before and I will tell you _one last time_, you will be _unsuccessful _in keeping me away from this place. I _will not_ stay away," her words came out in an almost growl. Kiba looked at her with wide eyes. He stepped forward and gently shook her.

"Don't you see what's going on? You're being _lured_! He doesn't exist! Anything you thought he said wasn't true! None of it!" he shook her slightly. That didn't work. More anger flashed in her eyes. He bit his lip and did the only thing he thought would work. He kissed her.

Jazmin felt like her entire body was on fire. For a mere second, she felt like she had been hit by lightning, then it was gone. She focused on the fact that Kiba's lips were moving against hers. As soon as she focused, her arms were wrapped around his shoulders. The fear, the danger, it was gone. Right now, she could reject the beauty of the mansion. Unbelievable; it was unbelievable. His body was so warm and comfortable. As soon as their lips parted, Jazmin gazed up at Kiba with a dazed expression. "I understand now. I understand why you want me to stay away from the property. The thing is, I don't know if I have the strength to do so," she mumbled. Kiba put his arm around her shoulder and guided her away from the gates.

"I am here for a reason. To protect you from that lure. No matter what, I will protect you from that lure."

* * *

He stared from the shadows watching the boy drag her away. Anger pulsed through him. If only he could pass these walls, if only, he would end that boy's meddling. But alas, he was stuck behind these walls that acted as an electric fence. He hadn't meant to lure her the way he did. No, he wanted her to walk back onto the property, but she was too afraid. So he tried to convince her. While doing that, he had been luring her. But why? Why did he want her to walk on the property? Why did he want _her_? Looking out at her being led away by the other boy, he felt jealous. Jealous that the other boy could touch her without frightening her; jealous that he could not walk with her, that he couldn't walk with _any_ of them.

The sun shone brightly the next few days. He stood by the gates, waiting, but he knew she would not come. The other boy would keep her away, not that she wanted to come. Nighttime came and he could leave his prison. Night; it was the one exception to the boundaries. After all, he needed a way to get his supply of food. She was walking alone, which was surprising. Being as quiet as he could, he walked through the shadows. "I must apologize," he spoke, surprising her. Jazmin turned in the direction of the voice. "I never meant to lure you."

"You . . . you came . . . after me!" she said in a slightly panicked voice.

"No, no. I came to apologize. You have to understand something," he moved so she could see his silhouette. She was frozen out of surprise. "I was not trying to lure you. I merely was trying to . . . how do I say this? I wanted you on the property. I wanted you around."

"Why? Why are you doing this?" the confusion showed on her face and there was a hint of fear, but she did very well to hide it. He sighed.

"I did not make you feel the way you did. You do want to know who I am. Everything you feel about the mansion - the property - it is all you. I never made you feel that way. However, you were drawn to the place, unwillingly. I did that . . . accidentally. I never meant for that to happen."

"You . . . told me you're dangerous; that I should stay away from you."

"Yes, I will admit that I am unsafe for you and that you _should_ keep from me. However, I must say that I would never purposely . . . hurt you. You are intriguing."

"Don't . . ."

"I would be happy to beg."

"Beg for what?"

"Your forgiveness."

"You would beg? For a stranger's forgiveness? I wonder."

"Let me explain. I do not accept mistakes and luring you was a mistake. Unlike some mistakes, it can be fixed. So that is exactly what I am trying to do. Fix it," he explained. Jazmin stared at the silhouette that remained still. The danger that she had felt was back, though she did her best to keep herself calm. He watched her with speculative eyes. "Please accept my apology."

"I refuse to allow myself to be controlled by you," she said in the firmest voice she could manage. At that instance, he felt a push, a mental push. Curious as to what it was, he welcomed it. It didn't take him long to realize what he was feeling.

"Hmm. I think you are something more than you appear to be," he told her. Jazmin turned her head away from the silhouette. He would not walk out of the shadows. That was where he hid; that was his safe place. While she was looking the other way, he stepped behind her and grabbed her chin lightly to keep her face it one place. A small gasp left her lips. "Now, were you looking to run from me? I am insulted, though I somewhat expected it."

"I wasn't going to run," she snapped. He pulled her chin up and put his chin under hers. She sucked in her breath, afraid he was going to do something harmful to her. But all he did was smirk - she could feel it.

"Now, now; there is no reason to lie. I believe I told you before that you do not fool me," his breath hit her neck as he moved away slightly. Jazmin's heart thudded hard in her chest; she could hear it in her ears. She was sure even he could hear it with how loud it was. A small chuckle left his lips as he started to run them over her neck. She shivered. "Are you afraid?"

"No," she spoke, without a single crack in her voice. Another chuckle left his lips and he moved them up her neck and jaw line to her ear.

"You . . . are lying," he whispered into her ear. Jazmin's skin became cold and began to tingle. She shivered again, which didn't go unnoticed by him. "Do you want me to leave?"

Jazmin thought of what the true answer would be. If she wanted him to leave, why was she thinking about it? Was she afraid? Yes. Did she want him to leave? No; she wanted to know who he was. But she would lie as best she could. She had to, for her own safety. "Yes," she tried to make it believable. His other hand traveled to her eyes. As soon as they were covered, he moved around her body. He pressed his body against hers and she felt his head move right in front of hers. His lips were an inch away from hers, but she knew he wouldn't kiss her.

His lips brushed against hers in a teasing manner. It was not a kiss, but close. "Another lie."


	4. Chapter 4: Pain, Torture

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Four  
Pain, Torture

_His lips brushed against hers in a teasing manner. It was not a kiss, but close. "No you don't," his breath mingled with hers. "However, I have to. Until next time." _By the time she had opened her eyes, he was gone. Jazmin sat in her room trying to clear her mind of him - or his voice really. How was this possible? She didn't know who he was, but he was in her mind. Aggravated with herself, she turned over in her bed and tried to sleep peacefully. However, that was impossible. Even in her dreams, he was there - only his voice, of course. Her dreams consisted of him being behind her and just as she turns around to see his face, she wakes up.

It was weeks later before she was anywhere near the mansion again. Kiba had gone away for some reason he had not revealed to Jazmin. Without him, she was unable to keep from the mansion. This magnetic pull was not like it was before. She was willingly walking towards it. Just as she approached the gates, she turned away. A voice stopped her from walking away. "I am surprised to see you. You have not been anywhere near this place for weeks," he spoke quietly. Jazmin didn't turn around. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to see the mansion, not you," she snapped. A chuckle left his lips.

"That is a relief. I was not sure if you wanted to _see _me or not. I suppose it is a good thing I did not plan to reveal myself to you."

"I didn't want to _hear_ you either," she clarified. He chuckled again - which he seemed to do a lot around her.

"Why do you lie to yourself? Why can you not admit that you _do_ want to hear me?" he asked her in a voice that sounded as if he was smiling.

"I _do not_."

"You say that, but it is untrue. In your dreams, my voice remains when I am not there," he said softly. "Almost all the time, I am in your mind. Even without knowing what I look like. Perhaps that is what interests you. And perhaps that is why I do not want to reveal myself to you. I do not want you to lose your interest."

"If I told you that my interest would remain, would you come out of the shadows?" she asked turning to face the gates. There was silence, which made her walk up to the gates. His hand came out of the shadow to wrap around the closest bar of the gate. Jazmin, curious, reached forward and ran her fingers over his. Just as she had expected, they were as cold as before.

"I might," he finally answered after a few moments of silence. Jazmin moved closer to the gates as if leaning in to hear a whisper.

"_Who_ are you?" she asked. It was his name she wanted.

"I am sure that you will know when you see me."

"So I _will_ get to see you? You're not going to make me think I am and then not allow me to see your face?"

"Do you _want_ to see my face?"

"Yes."

"Then you will," he moved his hand back into the shadows. "However, you will have to be on the property, where no one else can see." Jazmin leaned against the gate completely.

"When?"

"Are you really that eager?" he chuckled.

"No."

"That is a lie."

"Stop it!" she growled. Another chuckle left his lips.

"What?"

"How would you know whether I am lying or not? You don't know me at all."

"I know you more than you think. I have learned a lot," his silhouette moved slightly. "I can read you better than I can read anybody else."

"How strange, because I have learned _nothing_ about you," she moved away from the gates.

"Again, I am protecting my identity," he chuckled. "However, if you want to guess who I am, I will be happy to tell you a few things."

"Ma'am? Why are you standing in front of the gates to the Sabaku mansion?" a stranger asked her. Jazmin looked at the man and shrugged.

"Just looking around," she started to walk towards her house. The only footsteps she heard were hers, but she felt unsure. Gradually, she began to quicken her pace. It was afternoon and the sun was nowhere near setting quite yet. For several moments, the unease remained. It was only when she heard a door of a van open did she realize that she was being followed. There was no one else around beside her and her followers. Just as she was about to run, an arm wrapped around her neck and she was hit on the head with a hard object. Everything became black.

* * *

A throbbing pain was present on the left side of her head. She opened her eyes, but it was too dark to see anything. There was a faint smell of alcohol. When she tried to sit up, she realized that she was chained to a steel table by her wrists, ankles, and neck. She struggled against the chains, but there was no escaping. There were footsteps, heavy footsteps approaching. "One, she's awake," a husky voice spoke first. There was a small sliver of light coming from an opened door.

"Great. Three, Four, get the tools," the one she assumed to be One said. "Two, make sure the chains are tight. I don't want her moving around during the operation." Fear pulsed through Jazmin as she heard his words. The sound of metal hitting together reached her ears as the man, Two, tightened the chains.

"Okay, Four has the scalpels and scissors and I have everything else. Where do you want it all?" Three asked the leader.

"Here," he replied and most likely pointed to a place. In an instant, she was blinded by a bright light then by a blindfold. It went by quicker than it felt. Something hot, burning hot was injected into Jazmin's veins. She bit her tongue, trying to keep herself from screaming. All throughout her body, the burning traveled, like flames licking her veins. The pain became worse until it finally reached her heart. Her heart began to beat faster and faster until it became painful.

They weren't done, though. Her muscles were also injected with something. They used a scalpel to carve something on her palms. Finally, it came to the operation. With her awake, the cut her chest opened and put her heart in view. It looked normal, but felt like it was on fire. Several needles were poked into her heart, injecting some kind of thick fluid that made her feel heavy. Unconsciousness claimed her then. But they were far from done with her.

* * *

Back in her hometown, her mother was sitting in the living room waiting for her. It was hours until she thought something was wrong. She called the police, but there was little they could do. Of course, they would try to look for her; however, there were no leads. All her mother could do was wait for the investigator to find some clue to where Jazmin had gone. She was not hopeful.

"_The eyes are the doorway to the soul. Every eye is a different color, though they might look the same. When someone dies, their eyes become foggy and the color fades. It is because the soul is no longer in the body and the eyes are dying as well; no longer acting as the doorway to that soul." _The words were from a famous spiritual woman. She lost her life many years ago by a group of men in some sort of cult. They had yet to be caught. Chiyo knew that they would jump from town to town, looking for women to attack. _Don't let them be the ones who have her_, she thought.

* * *

_She opened her eyes and was shocked at what she saw. It was a beautiful room with crimson red curtains and darker red walls. The carpet was black with red rose designs all around it. She was lying on a bed with matching silk sheets and cotton pillows. It was a room that had been expensive. The room was cold - or was that just her temperature? Holding her breath, she listened to everything around her. There was a soft ticking sound from a clock and . . . steady breathing behind her. As she went to turn around, a hand gently grabbed her chin and prevented her from turning. Their chest met her back and she realized that she had been lying on a _person_. "Hmm, you promised," he spoke in a low husky voice that could still be considered perfect._

"_Promised what?" she was unsure. There was no memory of a promise. A blindfold was placed over her eyes, which allowed his hand to move down to her stomach. His lips met her shoulder. It was pathetic because it was only then did she realize that she wore no shirt - or clothes. "What is going on?"_

"_Do you not know?" he whispered evilly in her ear. She could only shake her head. Her mind was now focused on the knife that was being dragged over her right leg. Another knife was being dragged up her chest to her neck. "You are going to die. I am going to kill you."_

_BANG_! Jazmin opened her eyes to see only the blindfold and tried to sit up, but the chains kept her down. They were cutting her; all over. One was cutting her legs, one was cutting her chest and stomach, one was cutting her arms, and the last was holding a knife to her neck. Screams left her lips, which only made the one holding the knife to her neck put his free hand over her mouth. She was naked and struggling. Why were they doing this to her? _BANG_! It surprised her enough to stop her screaming. "Hurry! Before he gets in!" the leader yelled. But before his sentence was even finished the door was knocked off of its hinges. The knives that had been on her legs were suddenly ripped from her. It was only seconds and each and every man was torn from her body.

There were growls and snarls, but it soon became silent. Then the chains began to fall to the floor. She sat up and tried to cover her body. Her hands were pulled from her chest and a silk robe was put on her. "It was harder finding you than I believed it would be," his voice sounded in her ear. She gasped and instinctively turned her head in the direction of the voice. His left arm went under her knees and his right arm held her torso. She threw her arms around his neck, afraid she was going to fall.

"You . . . you're here. Why?" she asked him, breathless. She was closer to him than she had been before. Her face rested in the crook of his neck. She could smell him; he smelled of honey.

"Why? I am not quite sure, but it _is_ risky," he mumbled. It didn't feel like he was walking or running, but she felt the breeze, which was enough proof for her. "We must make it back before the sun rises."

"Why?"

"I do not like . . . being around . . . people," he struggled to say so. She didn't think his answer was a lie. If she had ever seen him - or _heard_ him, really - anywhere else besides the Sabaku property, she would have known it was him. "Why are you not afraid?"

"Should I be?"

". . . I . . . do not . . . _want_ you . . . to be afraid. However, you . . . _should_ be afraid," he carefully worded his response. Jazmin couldn't - _wouldn't _- allow herself to be afraid of him; not while she was in his arms, at least.

"How . . . how long have I been missing?" she asked him. Honestly, she could not remember. The days had begun to run together and she could no longer tell how much time had passed.

"Today would be a week now. We are not moving fast enough," he mumbled the last sentence unhappily. Jazmin didn't ask what he meant; she already knew. The sun would be up in only an hour or so - he muttered that eventually. "I cannot bring you home, unfortunately. The sun is rising and I must not be seen." He placed her on her feet and moved to stand behind her. The blindfold was pulled from her head, revealing that she was inside of the perimeter of the Sabaku property. They were standing by the east exist.

"How do you know where I live?"

"There was broadcast that was held at your house. Your mother prays for your safe return." _Slap_! Her mother, she had to be devastated. Jazmin tried to walk, but her legs collapsed under her and she fell towards the ground. He caught her.

"Perhaps you are not ready to walk just yet," he muttered in her ear and secured the blindfold around her eyes again before picking her up once more.

"I have to get home."

"You will have to wait until tonight."

"No!"

"It is not debatable. You cannot walk and I cannot carry you home. So here you will wait." The fear began to rear its ugly head.

"With you?" she asked, not meaning to let the fear leak into her voice. He chuckled.

"No, I thought I would leave you alone with the groundskeeper," he spoke in a teasing tone that was friendly. Jazmin did not think he was possible of talking in such a tone.

"I thought _you_ were the one that took care of the place," she stated in a somewhat casual tone. Another chuckle came from him.

"I am." He took her to a bedroom, where he told her to sit down on the bench at the end of the bed. It unnerved her to be sitting in the mansion in just a robe, blindfolded, with a complete and total stranger. The most he did to her was care for her wounds, though. On the bed, he sat behind her and removed the blindfold, after she promised not to turn around. She was in a room with crimson colored curtains and darker red walls. The carpet was black with intricate rose designs all around it. She sat on a bed with matching silk sheets and cotton pillows. With a strange sense of recognition, she gasped.

But could she really trust her dream enough for it to be real? No, surely it wasn't possible. However, as she sucked in her breath to listen, his breathing was steady and he had to be lying down. There were subtle differences; she remembered the promise and she wore the robe. But the similarities were not subtle and there were more similarities than differences. Her options, what could she do? Run? It seemed very unlikely. She didn't know the mansion; he did. _And_ he was faster than her, she knew that much.

Dreams didn't come true; that just wasn't the way things were. Dreams were dreams, not visions of the future. It wasn't possible for her to have a vision of the future. The dream before that one could not be a vision; there was no mountain in the town in which she lived. The only thing she could not explain was how the room in her dream was the exact replica of this room. And he was lying behind her. How could this have turned out so badly? If only she had been able to walk. If only she could walk now, but each time she moved her legs, the pain shot up and down them. If she couldn't walk, running was definitely out of the question.

Without thinking, she turned around, but his right hand grabbed her chin. His chest met her back as he sat up. "You promised," his voice was low and husky, though it could still be considered perfect.

"What is going on?" she asked him. She was unsure of herself as he placed the blindfold over her eyes, which allowed his hand to grab her left shoulder. His breath hit her neck.

"Do you not know?" he whispered evilly in her ear. She could only shake her head. No longer was her mind focused on his hand on her shoulder and his breath on her neck. It was on the knife that was being dragged over her right leg up her stomach and chest to her neck. With her breathing labored, she waited. She expected what he would say next, but it took him longer to say it than it had in her dream. Her body felt like ice, something that made it even harder to focus on what was going on in her head. _Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Please don't kill me. Please. _She kept saying to herself, hoping that he would _somehow_ here what she was begging him inside her head. He had not. "You . . . are going to die. I am . . . going to . . . kill you."


	5. Chapter 5: The Reason

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Five  
The Reason

Jazmin knew it was going to happen, knew he was going to kill her. Then why did she continue to go to him? Why did she allow him to get into her head? The knife pressed into her neck, making her flinch away from it. Slowly, the fear began to leak out into her expression, though he could not see it. _No! No! No! No! _She screamed in her head. _Let go! Let go! Let _go_ of me!_ In a second, he was flung from her body and slammed into the wall. She didn't waste another second thinking about what happened; she jumped from the bed and ran out of the room. _Exit, exit, exit, exit, _she chanted in her head. Upon hearing a crash, she flinched, closing her eyes and opening them again. When she opened them, she was outside. She ran to the exit gates at the front of the property, though they were closed. She didn't think about it much. All she thought of was getting away from him. She was over the gates faster than ever before.

Only when she was outside of the walls of the property did she stop. She couldn't see him, but she knew he was there. "You don't want me to be afraid of you, yet, you tell me you are going to kill me. You are evil. Pure evil," she growled. "A plague to this town!" Jazmin could not keep from shaking. She did not wait for a response; she ran away from the mansion. Bare foot and only wearing a silk robe, Jazmin ran all the way to her house.

"Jaz!"

* * *

It was weeks later. Jazmin sat on her bed staring out the window. The sun was setting and though he never came for her, she was still frightened. Outside, the cold air whipped against the window. Like most nights, her mother was out. She had gotten over the devastation of her daughter being kidnapped since she had returned. It was obvious that Chiyo had never been really upset about the whole ordeal, but it was best to not mention it. A knock on the door brought Jazmin back to Earth. She stared at the peephole for a few seconds, afraid to look through it, before deciding to do so. Sighing, she opened the door. "Kiba, what are you doing here?" she asked in an irritated voice.

"I'm doing what I promised. Protecting you from the lure," he said matter-of-factly. He walked through the door and closed it behind him. Jazmin watched as he leant up against the door. "You can't tell me that you aren't afraid; I can see it on your face." She scowled.

"You shouldn't be here."

"Don't send me away," he said, looking at her through his eyelashes. Jazmin sighed and grabbed his wrist. She pulled him towards the living room. Her mother wouldn't be home until late anyway. They sat on the couch, silent for quite a while.

"I did not feel like I was being lured to the mansion tonight. Are you sure that is why you came?" she asked. She didn't entirely believe his excuse for coming to her house at such a late hour. He hung his head.

"Of course. It's my job to protect you."

"Your _job_?" she growled slightly. "If you are only doing this because it is your _job _to do so, then stop right now. Because I will not allow such a thing to continue."

"Jazmin, it _is_ my job to protect you, but it's also my job to protect others. Right now, you are the only one in danger. I want to protect you," he added the last sentence in a whisper. Jazmin stared at him for a few moments before leaning back against the couch.

"Why is it your job?" she asked.

"You know I can't answer that," he teased her. A small smile appeared on his face. She gave him an uncertain look.

"Kiba, you are the quarterback of the high school football team. Why would you waste your time on _me_?" she threw the question out there. She had to know. He frowned. "Is it a waste of your time?"

"No. The thing is, Jazmin, I . . . know we used to _hate_ each other, but I don't want to hate you anymore," he mumbled. "You are kind and, though you are strange, very thoughtful; smart."

"What changed?" she questioned.

"I did."

"That's impossible. Nobody changes," she grumbled and stood up. He followed her, shaking slightly.

"Nobody changes? Is that what you really think? Because that is very stupid," he spoke each word carefully. Jazmin stared at his intense expression. "I've changed and I can prove it to you."

"How?"

"Like this," he replied and pulled her against his body. Instantly, she was warmed, but she couldn't think about why before his lips pressed against hers. She could not push him away. Her body reacted, while her mind tried to think straight. It was strange. With his, her lips moved. While his hands were on the sides of her stomach, hers were on his neck. Jazmin tried to fathom why she liked it so much. It never made sense to her. Should she be able to kiss Kiba so easily? Why was it so effortless? And though she used to hate him, the hate seemed to ebb away every time he spoke to her. She hated the effect he had on her. When he pulled away from her, she kept her eyes closed, trying to collect herself.

"I hate you," she mumbled, half-heartedly, which only made Kiba smile. He leaned his head down so his forehead rested on her shoulder.

"No you don't," he whispered. His arms wrapped around her smaller frame; hers were squished against his chest.

"Yes, I do. You are so egotistical."

"Then why aren't you pushing me away?"

Jazmin shrugged. "You're warm," she stated. He chuckled. "How are you so warm?" Kiba stiffened; another question he couldn't answer. She merely sighed and ignored the fact that she did not receive an answer. Kiba relaxed with a sigh.

"It's not easy; not being able to answer your questions. I wish I could," he mumbled into her shoulder. Jazmin didn't reply. There was no reply for his statements. "Jazmin, you'll never guess my reason."

"It's farfetched, isn't it?" she asked leaning back to look at his face. "But how farfetched could it really be?"

"You have no idea."

"So I will never know, will I?" she stared at him with a blank expression. A slight flicker of pain flashed across his expression.

"If you're not willing to look beyond the possible, you won't."

"Look beyond the possible? Wouldn't that be the impossible?" a simple nod was what she got as a reply. The impossible? There were so many things that were impossible. But what could relate to Kiba? She couldn't be sure. "You are a . . . mystery." He chuckled.

"Too much for you?" he mocked. Jazmin glared.

"No one is too much for me," she spoke confidently. But the statement was untrue. There was one person who was too much for her. _Him_. The guy who wanted to kill her; the very one who terrified her, and yet, he drew her in. He really was too much for her. Kiba smirked.

"I'll have to test that."

"Do not even dare!" she growled half-heartedly. A part of her wanted him to test it, but then again, she didn't was him to take advantage of her. She would figure his reason out before she let him test that. His smirk suddenly disappeared and he frowned. Jazmin stared at him with a confused expression. "What is it?"

"Stay here," he said firmly moving towards the front door. Jazmin reached out for him. "I'll be right back." Kiba walked out the front door quickly. She remained inside, but she looked out the living room window. He was growling at a still silhouette that clearly didn't belong where it was. Jazmin shivered; he had come to her house. Kiba seemed to be talking to him, but after a moment, he was advancing on him in a threatening manner. Right in front of her eyes, he began to change. His skin appeared to be tearing from his body. As she stared with wide eyes, a large brown wolf took his place.

* * *

"Naruto, you told her!" Temari growled in a too perfect voice, pointing at a certain pink haired girl. Sakura cringed away from her, hiding behind Naruto. The blond haired boy rolled his eyes with a large grin on his face.

"Calm down, Temari. I love her. I'm sure you have decided to tell Cage," he said, his grin turning to a smirk. Her eyes narrowed.

"That is different."

"How so?"

"If he betrays me by telling _anyone_, I am willing to take care of him. Are you willing to take care of _her_ if she tells anyone?"

"She wouldn't."

"Also, you will have to leave _eventually_. Would you be able to leave her? It is obvious that you cannot have her _forever_."

"Temari," he warned, but she ignored him.

"Would you be able to choose between leaving her or having her forever? If you love her as much as you say you do, you would make these decisions now."

"Now is not the time."

"Now _is_ the time! You are not only risking _my_ life, but the others too! And have you told Jazmin?"

"No."

"Maybe you should."

"Why?"

"_He_ is interested in her," the words echoed inside of Naruto's head. He knew who she was talking about and it angered him. "He has . . . revealed himself. She is in danger."

"He promised. I told him I would not allow such a thing to happen!"

"You were ignored."

* * *

Jazmin sat on her couch, staring at the floor in disbelief. Beyond the possible; it made sense now. He was . . . well, she wasn't sure exactly what he was, but he wasn't entirely human. Half human, half wolf. There was a name for someone like that. What it was, she could not remember. It made her wonder; what else existed from the movies? She was deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice Kiba sit beside her. "Jazmin?" he asked in an uncertain voice. Her eyes were still wide when she looked at him. "How much did you see?"

"I saw you . . . turn into . . . a _wolf_," she replied. He sighed and looked at the floor. "Is that why you're so warm?"

"Yes."

"And why is it your job to protect me?"

"Jazmin, you have to understand; that is not the only reason I am protecting you. I want to protect you. Not to mention, I am drawn to you. I've always been _interested _in you. You're strong and unafraid," he looked at her with soft eyes. "It's what I do. Protect people."

"_What_ . . . are you?"

"The technical name is lycanthrope, but you would know it better as a werewolf," he whispered. She stared at him. "What do you . . . think . . . about it?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure what the correct emotion would be in a situation such as this," she replied shaking her head. Sighing, she tried to explain what she was thinking. "I understand what you meant by I had no idea how farfetched it was. Strange, I will admit that I believe it is strange, but it's you. I've never considered you normal; I have always found you strange. You're different. I understand a few things. But what I do not understand is why you told me to stay away."

"It's dangerous," he said in a flat voice. "I could lose control and hurt you. At the library, it made me angry that you liked the Sabaku mansion so much. That's why I was shaking and my eyes changed to a dark color. I almost lost control. I could have . . . _killed_ you." Jazmin looked at his downcast expression.

"I trust you," she murmured. "I'll try not to anger you again." Kiba's head snapped up and he looked at her with wide eyes.

"I'm glad you trust me," he sighed. "I'm learning to control myself. You shouldn't have to worry about angering someone. Which is why you should stick to hanging out with . . . humans."

"Humans are boring! You are interesting. Besides, you are still human."

"When did you acquire a taste for danger?" he mumbled. Jazmin scoffed.

"You're not dangerous," she pulled on his arm. "If you were dangerous, I would sense it. I wouldn't feel safe with you."

Jazmin was lying on the couch now, with Kiba leaning over her. He looked down at her uncertainly. "You shouldn't feel safe with me."

"Stop being ridiculous and kiss me," she said. A smirk touched his lips before they connected with hers. It was simple; and safe. His body heat spread across her body warming her to her very core. Jazmin could sense the urgency and desperation in the kiss; his hand on the back on her, keeping her close.

That was his reason. He didn't want to lose control and hurt her - or kill her. It wasn't because he disliked her or didn't want to deal with her. But he wasn't dangerous; she wasn't scared. Their lips parted and Kiba looked down at Jazmin, who kept her eyes closed. "You really don't mind that I turn into a wolf?" he asked her, making her open eyes. She shook her head. It was true. She did not mind that he was a werewolf. "You can't tell _anyone_."

"Kiba, it is your secret, not mine. I do not have the liberty to tell someone, even if I wished to. Not a single soul will hear your secrets leave my lips," she promised him.

"Thank you."

* * *

_The scene was very clear. She was not in her hometown anymore; she stood at the edge of a cliff staring at the bottom that appeared to be miles away. What was her motivation for being here? Obviously, she wanted to kill herself, but why? Looking at the sky, she stepped forward. "Stop," a voice came from behind her. It was the voice that made her heart stop in fear. It was the voice that made her step even further towards the edge. "Stop!" Her foot was frozen over the emptiness of the drop. If she let her foot step forward, she would fall off the cliff. A hand grabbed her arm and yanked her away from the edge._

"_Let me go," the flatness of her voice surprised her. But he did not let go of her. She struggled to get out of his grip. She was unsuccessful. "Why are you stopping me?" There was no reply from him._

_Suddenly the scene changed. She was falling, fast, into a dark endless pit. All around her she heard screams from different people. Finally, she landed on her feet into a dark room filled with torture instruments. Each and every instrument was stained with blood. Looking around, she was able to see ghosts of women chained to the walls and tables in the room. They were crying, screaming, and begging for their lives. Blood dripped down their bodies; one even had her stomach cut open._

_The women disappeared when light flooded the room. Her eyes rested on a male and a female - the female being forced into the room. The male appeared to be young and as soon as he was in complete view, it became apparent who he was; Sabaku no Gaara. The owner of the mansion she believed to be so beautiful. With his red hair, pale skin, light turquoise colored eyes - deadly looking eyes - he was stunning. The woman was being dragged by her long chocolate brown hair. She was crying. His eyes were cold as he chained her to a table._

_It was brutal. The woman was not gagged and it appeared to Jazmin that Gaara enjoyed the screams of the woman as he cut through her skin. He stuck needles into her veins, tapping her for her blood. Within half an hour, she was dead. Jazmin followed him as he left the room, covered completely in blood. He walked through long dark hallways before coming to a cold room, an icebox. Horror washed through her as she realized what kind of room this was. A room filled with shelves all around the walls. On those shelves were vials filled with blood. His victims' blood._

_He was evil; pure evil._


	6. Chapter 6: Identity Revealed

**DEMONS  
**Chapter Six  
Identity Revealed

Jazmin stood before the gates of the mansion. She knew that it was stupid of her to be in front of the place so close to him. But it was something she had to do. It was only moments before she could sense him by the gates. "I know . . . who you are!" she spoke to the shadows. There was no response. "A ghost of what you used to be; a new monster." She stared at the shadows cast by the trees and wall of the property. There was a slight shuffling noise and suddenly his eyes were visible. Those deadly pale eyes stared at her; an intense emotion filled them.

"How did you find out?" he asked, not sounding the least upset by her words. She stepped forward until she was only a centimeter from the bars.

"I don't know. But I am willing to look beyond the impossible and you should not be alive," she murmured. "You were born seven hundred years ago. It should not be possible."

"Actually, I was born seven hundred ninety-five years ago. In all my years of living, I have not seen someone such as you. You are definitely interesting," he stated. "The stunt you pulled in my bedroom, impressive. I did not expect such power, but then again, I did not think those powers existed anymore."

"What are you talking about!" she demanded.

"You may not believe me, but I was never planning to kill you. A test is all it was. I had to know the extent, though I do not believe I have seen it."

"Liar!"

"Do you not remember what I said when you first spoke to me?" he asked her. She merely shook her head. "It would be a waste to kill you, let alone hurt you. And I did save you from those evil men. I do not believe you are giving me enough credit."

"Saving me does not change the fact that you are evil. You . . . you tortured _women_!"

"I did. I also tortured men," his words made her face twist into a horrified expression. "You seem surprised. Did you not know that?"

"I thought . . ."

"I had a room for men and a room for women."

"How many?" she asked a voice that was barely a whisper. There was no reply. "How many!"

"One thousand three hundred seventy-six women and one thousand seven hundred thirty four men," he replied flatly. Jazmin's heart nearly stopped. In total, he had tortured _three thousand one hundred ten _people. Breathing became difficult for her as the number continued to repeat in her head. "In my human life."

"Your . . . human . . . life?" she could barely get the words out of her mouth.

"Excuse me, miss?" a thick voice said from behind her. Jazmin turned to look at a black haired man with blood red eyes, pale skin, and stone gray lips. Fear tore through her body as she stared at this man.

"Get in here," he hissed. The sound of a chain breaking reached her ears and she turned to see the gate slightly open. Before she could even move, the stranger grabbed her arm and pulled her against his chest. His lips connected with her neck, but he wasn't kissing her. Teeth, sharp fangs, sank into her neck. A strangled cry left her lips. It lasted only a second; he let go a minute later. She was thrown through the gate, but she never hit the ground. Pain erupted inside of her. Her body began to freeze; the cold was traveling through her body.

"Change her or kill her," the stranger growled before disappearing.

Jazmin was having difficulties breathing. It was like her lungs were turning to ice. Inside, her body felt like winter and it hurt. She grabbed at the person holding her. "Make it stop!" she begged him. "Please! Make it stop! I can't . . . handle it!"

"I have never been able to control myself. I will not be able to save you; I would kill you if I tried," he told her. His mouth was close to her face. "I am having difficulties just resisting the smell of it."

It began to consume her. "Please," she whispered. She felt his lips touch her neck before his teeth sunk into the bite. The rush that went through her body was unbelievable. All the cold began to travel back to the bite. It was quick and it hurt as it traveled through her. It was so cold it _burned_. But soon, the feeling was gone and it was her _life_ being sucked from her body. That feeling was worse than the freezing. Her hands pulled on his hair, but she was too weak. She was not able to remain conscious. Everything became black. The last thought that ran through her head was: _would I ever wake up?_

_

* * *

_

Her entire body ached and she felt weak. She opened her eyes and she saw the face of the one who had been haunting her dreams. She tried to sit up, but was too weak. His hand pulled her up. The room she was in was the same one she had been in when he told her he was going to kill her; his bedroom. "I feel dead," she mumbled.

"That is because you were close to dying," he told her. "I almost did not stop. You have been unconscious for three days."

"Three days!"

"I took a lot of blood. I apologize," he ran his fingertips over her neck where the bite remained. Why did the action seem to be one of admiration? Jazmin stared at him. His entire being was revealed to her. She couldn't help herself; her hands went touch his face. There was no way he was alive still. It had to be a dream - or a horrible nightmare. When her fingers met soft skin, she was convinced that he was in fact real, but not convinced that it was actually him. Her fingertips traced over his eyes, checking to see if the black around his eyes were indeed real. Next was the kanji, which was his mark, his unique look. Lastly, her hand ran through his hair. It was not a wig.

She withdrew her hand only to have it pulled back by him. He pulled her wrist to his lips and felt the pulse with his lips. "You are unsure, are you not?" he asked against her wrist. She watched him carefully. His light turquoise colored eyes met hers as he waited for her to speak. "Jazmin."

"I . . . I am. I have spent my life admiring you and your mansion only to find out that you are a murderer," she told him in a disappointed voice. Slowly, she pulled her hand away and created a distance between them.

"I did not kill because I wanted to, because I enjoyed it." He moved closer to her and didn't allow her to back away again.

"Then why did you?"

"It was a means of survival. Like you have to eat food to survive, I have to drink blood. I am a demon and a vampire."

"Why didn't you kill me? Why do you keep me alive?" she asked, the confusion leaking into her voice. His fingertips traced over the bite mark on her neck.

"You resemble the only person who ever cared for me. Looking at you, I feel human. Like I have not completely lost myself."

She glared at him and tried to push him away; he would not move away. "You _are not_ human! You never will be! You will always be a monster! A murderer! A demon! A . . . a . . ."

"Are you done?" he asked patiently. Jazmin groaned.

"Why are you doing this to me!" she grabbed her head with her hands and closed her eyes tightly. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her hands away from her head. His face was inches from hers.

"You are drawn to me, as was she. You cannot stop thinking about me and neither could she. I am in your dreams. It is all you; I have done nothing to you," he spoke softly. "I cannot stop thinking about you either."

"I hate you!" she yelled, trying to pull her wrists from him. His grip was firm, though not tight enough to hurt her.

"No, you may think you do, but you do not."

"I do! I _really, really _hate you!" she tried to free her hands to push him, but she was only pulled against his body. His turquoise eyes were colored with lust.

"And I _really, really _want you," he told her in a husky voice. She shivered out of fear as his nose pressed into the crook of her neck. "Be not afraid." With his face so close to where her pulse would be located, she couldn't help but be afraid. He was, after all, a vampire _and _a demon - a bloodthirsty one at that.

"What happened to her?" she asked. It was a way to keep her mind off of how close he was. Maybe if she spoke, he would move away from her. He did not.

"She died."

"How?"

"I . . . I killed her," he said, moving away from her neck. His eyes met hers and she stiffened. "I lost control. I regret ever allowing her to become so close to me."

"Please . . . don't . . . kill me," she begged him, pressing her face into the crook of his neck. He let go of her wrists, his hands traveling down her arms. "I don't want to die. Not yet. Please. I'll give you anything."

"I cannot promise that I will not kill you. However, I can promise to try and keep you alive," he murmured. His lips moved over her ear. "As for you giving me anything, I will not take what you do not want to give." Jazmin could feel one of his hands on her lower back. His lips were on her neck, but he was not kissing her. It was the scent of her that he was enjoying. The scent of her skin and blood.

"Why me?"

"I will be honest with you. You look like her; the shape of your face, nose, eyes, and ears. Of course, there are differences. You skin is lighter than hers; her hair was shorter, though still the same color; your eyes are blue - hers were dark green; and her lips were darker, often covered with dark red lipstick. Gorgeous, flawless, and beautiful. She was everything that a man could want. However, her beauty was not what attracted me. It was her interest even when she knew what I did that attracted me to her. It was only later that I discovered she was, in fact, a witch."

"A . . . a witch?" her question was filled with curiosity.

"Mm, yes. However, what you believe is a witch and what a witch actually is, are two different things. There is no correct definition for "witch" in my world. Humans believe that witches do not look like "normal" people. Those who call themselves witches and do not try to blend in with humans are not real witches," he leaned his forehead against her shoulder. "Her name was Jazz. Seventeen years old, she was one of the most skilled. All she had to do was imagine someone's death and they would die. Powerful, she was powerful. And I was in love with her.

"Her family did not approve, even though half of them were vampires. Her mother and sister were vampires; her father was male version of a witch, a sorcerer. Each and every one of them despised me, though I never blamed them. I was - and still am - a monster that was bloodthirsty. Her sister - Mina - disliked me the most. After I killed Jazz, Mina was the only one who tried to kill me for it. 'Heartless, monstrous, murderer,' she had called me. Ah, I almost feel bad for killing her. However, her attack was what changed me, made me a vampire as well, so I have no reason to feel remorseful.

"Ah, back to your question. Why you? You may not believe so, but you have the powers of a witch. Someone cannot become a witch - or a sorcerer - if their parents, grandparents, great grandparents, or great, great grandparents are not. It can go back as far as your family history does. I believe that you might be a descendant of their - Jazz and Mina's - parents. You have Mina's blue eyes, lips, and long hair - even the same style. And you have Jazz's dark skin and golden blond hair. Let us not forget you have the power of their father - Edward. You must be a part of their family."

"I _will not_ . . . be her . . . _replacement_," her voice was firm, but unsure. The information certainly was a lot for her to handle. What she got out of it was his interest in her had to do with a woman whom he had loved and killed. His expression was no longer emotionless; it changed to shock.

"Her replacement? No, I would never expect such a thing. She cannot be replaced; I will not allow it," he sighed and leaned away from her. "No, I know you will not expect to replace her, will not _want_ to replace her. That is not what I want."

"What is it that you want then? If it isn't to replace her, what is it? Why would I be so important?" she looked down at the space between them. There was very little space between them.

"Hmm, that is a good question. Why _would_ you be so important? But that is a question I cannot answer. I want you. I believe I said that before."

"Still, I can't understand. Why me?"

"To put it simply, I am interested in you. Everything about you intrigues me," he tilted his head to the side. Jazmin couldn't help but notice how the action seemed . . . sexy. "And you are drawn to me." He leaned forward, becoming closer and closer to her face. Jazmin's heart sped up; she was unsure what he was planning to do - kiss her; bite her?

"My mother . . . I have been missing for three days," she said, trying to prevent him from coming closer. He merely shrugged.

"She can wait for a few more hours. Besides, you are not strong enough to walk yet," he murmured. Fear began pulsing through her veins.

"What are you going to do to me?" she asked, keeping the fear from leaking into her voice. He seemed to notice the fear anyway. His arm went under her armpit and around her torso. Picking her up and placing her on her feet, he pulled her towards the door.

"I am going to feed you and give you water. After all, you are human and need food and water to survive," he told. A loud growl tore through the halls of the mansion. Jazmin jumped at the sound of it. He hissed. "It seems that your . . . _wolf _. . . has come for you." That's when Jazmin saw it; a large brown wolf standing in the hallway, baring its teeth at the man next to her.

"Kiba," she whispered, guilt flooding her. It was her fault that she was in his house; he hadn't brought her here or taken her forcefully. She looked up at the wolf's angry eyes. It was obvious what he was staring at; the bite mark on her neck. When he stepped forward in a threatening manner, Jazmin panicked. "No! Stop!" He was frozen. All she wanted to do was leave the house with Kiba.

"Careful. He is not in his right mind," his lips were close to her ear as he whispered. Another growl left the mouth of the wolf. A smirk on the other's mouth. His lips dragged over her jaw line and chin. Another growl.

Jazmin pushed away from him and stumbled towards the wolf. At the sight of her fear, the wolf seemed to calm down. "I want to leave! I want to leave now!" she exclaimed. He was gone; she couldn't see him anymore. The wolf lowered its head, motioning for Jazmin to climb onto its shoulders. When she was on his shoulders and they were on their way out, she leaned down towards his ear. "I'm sorry."

* * *

"Why are you sorry?" Kiba asked Jazmin when he was in his human form again. She looked at the ground, ashamed. His hands cupped her chin and pulled her head up. "Jazmin, you can tell me."

"I . . . I went to the mansion . . . to stand outside of the gates. I know who he is . . . and what he is," she told him with guilt ridden eyes. He sighed and sat on the edge of her bed next to her.

"Jazmin, I know you went there of your own free will, but I couldn't . . . I couldn't _smell_ you inside the property lines. Not at first, that is. The other . . . _bloodsucker _. . . bit you, I knew that, but I couldn't find you by scent. Looking at your neck, I can tell - because it's obvious - that the venom was sucked from your body," he shook slightly. "That's when I realized the reason I couldn't smell you. Death; you were so close to death that I wasn't able to track you by scent."

"Really?" Jazmin was shocked.

"Yeah, your scent changes when you die or become . . . one of _them_," he shivered and closed his eyes. They remained closed for several minutes, as he tried to calm himself. Only when they were open again did he speak. "You know who he is? What he is?"

"Yeah."

"How did you find out?"

"I really don't know. But I suppose that after learning your secret, I was able to look beyond the possible," Jazmin explained. She sighed. "Sabaku no Gaara . . . the demon and vampire of this town."

"A man who will do anything to have you."

"And will do anything to get rid of you."


	7. Chapter 7: Which Side?

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Seven  
Which Side?

"Sakura? Naruto? What is it that you needed to talk to me about?" Jazmin asked the two who sat across from her at her dining room table. They demanded that they talk in private, where no one could eavesdrop. She stared at the two with curiosity pulsing through her veins. "Well?"

Naruto sighed. "Jazmin, I have to tell you something and you can tell _no one _else, okay?" he waited until she nodded to continue. "Okay, Jaz, I am - and stay with me here - a vampire. Sakura knows; I told her. But there is more. The Sabaku mansion is not safe . . ."

"Because Sabaku no Gaara, the owner, is still alive as a demon and vampire. I know. He told me himself," she interrupted the blond haired boy. Naruto's hands clenched into fists and his jaw tightened.

"Alright, then, moving on . . . to Kiba. He is not safe; he's a werewolf and they are very unstable. You should . . . stay away from him," he continued to talk. Jazmin's teeth clicked together and anger replaced the curiosity she had felt before.

"Wait, wait, wait! Are you telling me that I should not spend my time with a werewolf, but instead spend it with a _vampire_? Even if Kiba _was _a werewolf, I would not stay away from him," Jazmin stood up and started walking to the door. Naruto was in front of her in seconds, blocking her way.

"How much has he told you about werewolves? Did he tell you that they are just as dangerous as vampires? Did he tell you that his family is a pack of rogue werewolves?" Naruto asked her. He didn't wait for her to reply though. "Hana is the deadliest; she is difficult to control. The family did not accept their fate and tried to run from it. Our world has laws, though no one exists to uphold them. For vampires, you cannot - or really should not - reveal the existence of mythical creatures to them unless you plan to turn them into a vampire." Horror struck Jazmin at that moment.

"You plan on turning Sakura into a . . . a _vampire_?" she asked in disgust. She couldn't imagine becoming a vampire and she couldn't imagine Sakura becoming one, either. Sure, Naruto had been a close friend of Jazmin's for years, but if he was a vampire, she didn't want to be a part of that. Sakura pulled on Jazmin's arm, turning her around.

"It is my choice, Jazmin, but you _cannot_ say it like that! What if you loved a vampire? What would you do? Grow old as he stays forever young?" she asked Jazmin in a serious voice. Jazmin crinkled her nose. Sakura glared. "Oh, but _werewolves _aren't disgusting!"

"They aren't! Vampires are! They kill people! They drink the blood of people!" she growled. Naruto flinched and his expression changed to sorrow.

"Jazmin, I have never ever hurt you or Sakura. I have never had the urge to hurt either of you. We have been friends for years. I would never hurt you," he said softly. She felt guilty. This wasn't some vampire in her house; it was Naruto. He was funny, kind, and generous. He even beat up Sasuke for breaking Sakura's heart many years back. "Kiba, on the other hand, has the urge to kill you. He _wants _to kill you. That's how werewolves work. They have uncontrollable urges to kill people."

"He hasn't . . . acted as if he wants to kill me," Jazmin mumbled.

"Because he hopes he can control it. But I'm afraid he can't," Naruto sighed and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. "You are one of my closest friends and I'm afraid you are going to get hurt."

"Jazmin, Naruto has been driving me crazy over the past few days, wondering whether or not he should tell you. Of course, when we found out _Gaara_" the name made Sakura cringe. "had told you that he was a vampire, there was no doubt that you should be told."

"You both have me all confused now," Jazmin mumbled as Naruto pulled away from her. Sakura chuckled. "My vampire friends or werewolf friend?"

"Hey! We've been friends longer than you and Kiba have!" Sakura pointed out in a somewhat loud voice. That was true. She sighed.

"I'm tired, you guys. Do you mind letting me get some sleep?"

"Of course not!" After short goodbyes, they were gone.

* * *

"_I refuse to let bloodsuckers take you like this!" he growled. It was obvious who the voice belonged to. Kiba was the only person she knew who spoke that way. His face was filled with anger. Jazmin could only imagine what she had just told him, but she knew that it must have been something horrible to him. He was shaking uncontrollably. She stood far enough back that she was not in danger. "Those monsters will not destroy you! I won't allow it!"_

"_Hey! Those are my friends you are talking about!" she growled. "I will not allow you to speak about them like that!" Her hands clenched by her sides. Kiba's expression faltered._

"_Why? Why vampires? What is it about them that makes them so appealing to you?" he asked her. His expression was pleading._

"_They were - and still are - my friends. You only became my friend because I wanted to know the reason of your warning. Perhaps I should have listened," she spoke calmly. The boy in front of her seemed to disappear as a giant wolf took his place. Jazmin waited not a single second before she turned and ran through the door behind her. As fast as she could, she slammed it and locked it. However, it wouldn't be able to hold him for too long, so she continued to run._

_The door was slammed open and the wolf followed her. She exhaled softly, turning to face her now enemy. _Think, think, think, _she commanded herself. _Back! _As the word ran through her head, Kiba - in his wolf form - was thrown back against the doorway. That was the key; she had to concentrate. _Leave! Now! _It was like an alpha commanding its followers; he left. "Goodbye, Kiba."_

_

* * *

_

Where do we go from here? What part of the story you should hear next? How about the confirmation part of the story? It was a few days after Naruto, Sakura, and Jazmin's talk. The day was as sunny as could be. Kiba was talking to his mother about a problem. "Mother, I want to kill her. I want to _so _bad that there are times when I think I will. I don't understand," he told his mother, Tsume, in a frustrated voice. The woman turned to look at her troubled son.

"If she is not a vampire, perhaps she is a witch. Werewolves naturally hate witches, you know," his mother explained. _Jazmin; a witch? _Kiba thought. It seemed impossible for her to be something that werewolves naturally hated as much as they hated vampires.

"But . . . I don't _hate _her. I . . . actually . . . like her. I just . . . I want to kill her so bad that I'm afraid that I _will_," he mumbled. Tsume laughed. "What?"

"That feeling of liking her is . . . artificial. The witch must have done something to you to make you like her."

"I kissed her first when she was being lured by the monster of the Sabaku property," he pointed out.

"The kiss must have triggered something inside of the witch. You should be careful around her. Who knows what else she might try to do," Tsume ended the conversation walking towards the front door of her house. "I'll be home later."

* * *

"What are you doing here?" Gaara asked Jazmin; though it wasn't in a tone that said he didn't like her presence. It was as if he was surprised she was there. "I really did not expect you to come here again."

"I have a question."

"Another one?"

"Will you answer?"

"Is that the question?"

Jazmin couldn't help but smile slightly. "No."

"I will answer."

"How difficult is it . . . to resist blood?" she had difficulties asking the question. It had been burning her throat since the possibility of Sakura becoming a vampire came about. She was standing outside the gates of the property. Gaara came close enough where only she could see his face.

"It is especially difficult for me. However, for a "normal" vampire, it is easier to control the thirst; though it is still very difficult."

"Why is it especially difficult for you?"

"I have two sides of me that are contributing to the thirst for blood - the demonic side, which was a part of my "human" life, and the vampire side. The demonic side of me survived my change and now I have the thirst of a vampire _and _a demon. Sometimes it is almost . . . uncontrollable."

"Can I ask another?"

"You just did."

"Alright, can I ask another question after this one?"

"Sure."

"Why do you never go beyond the property walls during the day?"

"I do not like people."

"What's the real reason?" her question was not answered. A large group of people began walking passed the property gates. It was a large group that seemed endless. Sighing, Jazmin walked away from the gates and thoughtlessly walked. She ended up on the east side of the property, by the small entry door. For a few moments, she stared at it before deciding she shouldn't. However, when she heard the lock click - signaling that it had been unlocked - she couldn't help herself. She didn't walk far onto the property; she leaned against the door. "What's the real reason?" He appeared in front of her, his hands resting on both sides of her head. She stared up at him, unsure.

"The real reason? I cannot leave this place. A sorcerer - Edward - trapped me here after I had killed his daughter. I was not allowed out during the day, but I had to feed. So I would have to settle for nighttime feeding. Of course, I have blood stocked up that is enough for a long time. However, I prefer . . . warm blood," he explained to her. His breath hit her face. "Now, may I ask you a question?"

"It only seems fair that you should."

"Why do you keep coming back?"

"I am - and I hate to admit it - drawn to you," she answered truthfully. Shaking her head, she tried to get the scent of him out of her nose. "There are times when I find my mind wandering to you without me even realizing it. I have had dreams of you - though not always pleasant."

"I am surprised . . . to hear you admit that you are, in fact, drawn to me. I had not expected you to admit it. No, I instead, expected you to insist that you hated me as well as you wanted me to leave you be."

"I'm afraid of you, but at the same time . . . I . . . _want_ to be near you. And I know I shouldn't want that," she mumbled. He was far too close to her; she couldn't think straight. "You are a dangerous bloodthirsty vampire who almost killed me. I should want to be as far away from you as possible."

"Ah, yes that is true. When someone almost kills you while they are trying to _save_ you, it is best to stay away. For every minute you are with me, you are in danger."

"You could command me stay away."

"Would you listen?"

"Depends on how you deliver the command," she shrugged. His face came even closer to hers. His lips were only a centimeter from hers.

"I . . . do not . . . want to command you to stay away. If I could, I would command you to stay," he whispered. Jazmin stared at his chest. _I would command you to stay_. Was he serious? She didn't know what to say to his comment. "I also realize that your blond haired friend - Naruto - has told you his secret."

"How would you know?"

"He told me. He also told me that you were disgusted by the idea of Sakura becoming a vampire. You are disgusted with the idea of becoming a vampire but not the vampire itself? Would you be willing to explain that to me?"

Jazmin sighed. "I thought that the vampires were the bad guys and the werewolves were the . . . protectors. When I found out that Sakura wanted to . . . become a vampire, I was disgusted at first. They have been my friends for years. If Sakura were to turn into a vampire, she would still be . . . Sakura. I have gotten over that disgust," she explained. He chuckled and she looked up at his face. Amusement covered his face.

"Is that what your wolf told you? Vampires _and_ werewolves are both the bad guys. Vampires naturally hate werewolves; they are our only enemies - humans do not count since we need them to feed. Werewolves naturally hate vampires and witches. I believe that witches and healers are the only ones who do not naturally hate someone. Of course, you seemed to hate me right away," he stared at the door. "Werewolves want to kill witches. All the time they feel that urge. I do not believe it has ever been explained why. He is dangerous to be around."

"So are you."

"True, but if I were to hurt you in a fatal way, I could save you, heal you. He could not; he probably would not want to."

"Would you want to save me?"

"Yes. For two reasons; Naruto would kill me - or try to - if anything happened to you. And I would lose something that makes life interesting."

"Wow, that touches my heart," Jazmin spoke sarcastically. Gaara chuckled. "I don't understand. Why do you find me interesting?"

"Well, that would be because you do what I do not expect you to do. When I expected you to stay away, you come back. You are . . . unpredictable," he moved his lips to hover over her ear. His body pressed against hers, cooling her, and his hands softly grabbed her neck. "I like that." Jazmin couldn't believe it when his lips started to run over her jaw line and chin. His hands tilted her head up and to the right and his lips continued down her neck.

"What are you doing?"

"Enjoying your scent as you are enjoying mine," he murmured against her skin. Jazmin's cheeks flushed. She couldn't lie; she did like the smell of him - winter, cold sweet winter.

Jazmin took a deep breath. "I should go," she spoke as firmly as she could. He did not move away from her.

"Should you?"

"Yes."

"Do you want to?"

". . . No."

"Are you going to?"

"Yes."

"Will you come back?"

"If I am allowed to."

"You are always allowed to come here." His words were unusually soft and made Jazmin swoon slightly. Only when he moved away from her was she able to collect her thoughts. "And I hope you do. Goodbye, Jazmin." He disappeared into the shadows and Jazmin was able to walk out the door. It locked behind her. _You are always allowed to come here_.


	8. Chapter 8: Crossing Lines

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Eight  
Crossing Lines

The man had short black hair, piercing red eyes, stone colored skin, and gray lips. He wore square shaped sunglasses. His arms were around the shoulder of a woman, with long black hair with blue streaks, red eyes as well, ivory colored skin, and stone gray lips. She also wore square shaped sunglasses. In her hair was a red and purple flower and around her neck was a pearl necklace with four strands and a golden ribbon tied in a bow that wound around a large pearl heart. They walked casually to the Sabaku mansion and easily climbed over the gates. Gaara was in front of them in a second with a glare on his face. "What do you want!" he hissed. The man smirked.

"It seems you have saved her instead of changing her. How . . . strange," he removed his sunglasses and stared at the red head with a heartless expression. "If you will not change her, I will do it instead." Gaara snarled, which made both smirk.

"Ah, Gaara. You have become infatuated with a human? How disappointing," the woman removed her sunglasses as well and stared at Gaara with eyes filled with false sadness. In reality, she was angry. Before she was with Haki, she had thrown herself at Gaara. However, he had refused her, something that never happened. Now that a human had his attention, she was determined to do whatever it would take to destroy the connection. "Do you not remember what happened last time you allowed yourself to grow close to a human?" At the mention of that he snarled again. But a familiar ache struck his heart. The only woman he ever loved.

"Are you afraid that she will not _want_ to live forever? Are you afraid that she will be disgusted with the idea of becoming a vampire?" Haki taunted.

"I fear _nothing_!" Gaara hissed. Lucida ran towards him, stopping just in front of him. Her lips curved into a smirk when he didn't back away from her.

"Gaara, Gaara, Gaara," she sighed. "You seem to forget that even though I am with Haki, you are still mine." He grabbed her throat tightly.

"I am not yours. I never was."

Haki grabbed Gaara's wrist and ripped his hand from Lucida's throat. "Your human can expect a visit from us _very_ soon. During the daytime," he smirked and pulled Lucida into his arms. Gaara glared at them as they left.

"Bastards."

* * *

She sat at her desk doing her homework. Her mind was moving slowly, though. Sakura had informed her that she would be leaving town for a few days with Naruto. And avoiding Kiba was difficult. It wasn't as if she didn't want to see him, it was . . . complicated. Friends or new friend? Jazmin did not want to lose Sakura and Naruto, but she also wanted to learn more about Kiba. However, they - Naruto and Sakura - had presented her with an ultimatum. Them or Kiba? Vampires or werewolves? Naruto had not forgotten to remind her of Kiba's urge to kill her.

Complicated.

A knock on the front door brought her back to earth. Without thinking about it, she ran to the door and opened it. There stood the man who had bitten her; he was a vampire. Next to him stood a perfect looking woman; she had a small smile on her face. These people were not kind, she knew that. Just by looking at them she could tell that there was something dark and dangerous about them. And it wasn't the fact that they were vampires - she wasn't sure if the woman was. It was something else about them. "May . . . I . . . help you?" Jazmin asked in a small voice.

The woman spoke first. "My name is Lucida and this is Haki," she introduced them. Jazmin didn't give any sign of emotion. "And we . . . are here to kill you." That was it. She slammed the door shut and ran to her room. As her hand touched the phone, a hand grabbed her wrist.

"You do not want to do that," the man, Haki, whispered harshly in her ear. Her hand let go of the phone. "Good girl."

"Now listen here, girl! _Technically_, we _are _going to kill you. In reality, we are just going to change you into a vampire."

"No!" Jazmin exclaimed trying to pull her arm away from Haki. He was too strong for her. "Let me go! I don't want to be a vampire!"

A snarl ripped through the air and a large wolf - probably Kiba - jumped through her window. He immediately began biting at the two vampires. The two looked at each other before bailing out the window and running away. The wolf followed them, not glancing at Jazmin once. At that moment, Jazmin realized something. These vampires - who had to have a vendetta against Gaara - would continue to try and change her into a vampire until she was a vampire.

The thought made her shudder. Her? Become a vampire? It did not sound appealing to her at all. Having to drink the blood of people; being uncontrollable; possibly killing people; she didn't like the thought of it at all.

She ran out of her home and ran towards the only place she could think of at the moment. This time she did run to the front gates; she ran to the east entrance. It opened before she even reached it. As soon as she was through the door, a pair of hands was on her face. "What happened?" he demanded.

"They told me they were going to change me," she replied. He ran his hands over her shoulders and leaned down to rest his nose against her neck.

"Then how are you not a vampire? You remain human. And if you had been bitten, you would be writhing in pain," he breathed against her neck. Jazmin reached up and pulled on his hair. He leaned up to look into her eyes. "Does this bother you?"

"Gaara, Naruto told me that you don't reveal your existence as a . . . vampire unless you plan on changing them into one. Do you . . . plan on turning me . . . into one?" she asked avoiding his question. If she lied, he would know. A flicker of emotion flashed across his face. "Do you?"

"Is the idea . . . repulsive to you?" he avoided answering her question.

"I . . . do not like the idea, but I no longer find it . . . repulsive."

"Just unappealing."

"Yes. I prefer to remain human." She noticed how his expression changed slightly. "Now, will you please answer my question?"

"I . . . did not plan on turning you into a vampire," he said softly. The answer comforted her. "However" The sentence made Jazmin stiffen. "I must tell you, that even though _I_ do not plan on turning you, I am not the only one capable of doing so. Those vampires, unless they are dead, they will not stop until you are a vampire."

"Why?"

"Lucida has a grudge."

"A grudge?"

"Shortly after . . . I killed Jazz, Lucida tried to have me. She was determined to _comfort_ me. However, I knew what she really wanted. She hoped that if she had me in a . . . sexual way, she would have access to my riches. It was an obsession," he murmured in a clearly unhappy voice. "To get her . . . revenge, she plans on turning you in hopes my interest will fade when you are no longer human."

Jazmin wondered. "Would you . . . lose your interest?" her tone seemed _too _curious.

He chuckled. "No. I would not. But for your sake of survival, I will make it seem as if I would," he lowered his head to her neck again. "It would be so much easier if you _were_ a vampire, though." She stiffened and he chuckled again. "Relax. I am not going to change you."

"You are not doing this out of affection," she stated, indicating his actions of trailing his lips over her skin.

"No."

"Then why are you?"

"I like the feel of your skin."

"Oh. I have a question."

"Go ahead."

"I don't think you'll like it."

"Ask me. I will answer whatever question you have."

"Did you . . . love her? _Do _you . . . love her?" She was afraid that he would be angry about her question and she naturally cringed and stiffened up. His fingers, which ran down her spine, encouraged her to relax.

"Yes. I do. I always will, but I have learned to move on and possibly - though unlikely - love someone else," he moved away from her. Jazmin cocked her head to the side.

"You don't think you are capable of loving someone else?"

"You do?"

"I believe it capable, though I know that doesn't mean you will."

"I think the question is: could someone love me for all I am? Could someone really accept everything I have done, everything that I am?" He looked at the wall behind her. "If another such person exists, I will never find her. And even if I did, what if I did not love her?"

"Gaara . . ." the name slipped out of her mouth before she could stop it. He looked at her, but she said nothing else. She was staring at the ground. That is, until he cupped her chin and tilted her head upwards.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to be loved again?" she cringed again, once again afraid of his response. He chuckled.

"Stop being afraid of asking me questions. I have answered all of them without delay, have I not?"

"You have. Will I receive an answer to this one?"

He didn't reply right away. "I suppose I do. It would be . . . nice to no longer be alone. When you are what I am - a _bloodsucker_ - you are alone quite a lot. Not many humans can accept that you are a monster."

"Alone?"

"I have been alone for seven hundred twenty-seven years. My siblings do not like being around me."

"Alone . . . for seven hundred . . . twenty-seven years," she spoke the words in a monotone. She could not believe that he had survived all those years alone. Then something else registered in her mind. "You have siblings?"

"You did not know? It was not in my history? I thought you knew all about me," he teased her. She shook her head.

"Apparently I didn't because I didn't know you were a vampire."

He chuckled. "True. And yes, I do have siblings. Older siblings; a brother and a sister. They both are vampires as well; they became vampires the same year I did," he explained. Jazmin stared at him as he spoke. When he realized she was listening closely, he chuckled again. "Temari and Kankurou are their names." Jazmin gasped.

"I met your sister. She has a job at the animal hospital."

Gaara wrinkled his nose in what she assumed was disgust. "She is . . . currently experimenting with . . . animal blood," he spoke with distaste. Jazmin wrinkled her nose too.

"That sounds . . . gross," she mumbled. He smiled.

"It is."

"Have you . . . tried it?"

"Yes. When I was first coping with becoming a vampire, I did. I hoped that it would make me less of a monster, but it did not satisfy the demon inside of me. Human blood, it wanted human blood. Not only that, it wanted them to suffer, wanted them to scream," he said in a bitter voice. When he saw Jazmin's expression, he stopped himself from continuing. "I apologize. Did I frighten you?"

"No," she mumbled, though she didn't convince him. "But that reminds me of what you've done. All the pain you caused." The dream of the tortured women ran through her head. Disgusting.

"Disgusting," he echoed her thoughts. "I know."

"You killed them."

"Yes."

"You destroyed families."

"Yes."

"How can you be so composed?" she asked him with a slight edge to her tone. He gave her a troubled look.

"I cannot change the past. At that time, that was what I had to do to survive. However, I have been able to suppress those demonic ways. I no longer have to . . . torture. I can just feed. Still, resisting blood is . . . difficult."

"How difficult is it for you to resist my blood?"

"You do not want the answer to that."

"Yes, I do. If I didn't, I wouldn't have asked," she noticed how his expression darkened and he looked away from her. Raising her hand slowly, she placed it on his cheek and pulled his face to look at her. He was obviously allowing it. After all, he was a vampire, stronger than her, and he could easily resist. "Please tell me."

"It would be . . . difficult to explain it . . . to you," he stated. But the look on her face was begging him to try. "Alright, imagine it this way. You have not had a drink for quite a while and it is a very hot, dry day. The thirst is unbearable; your throat is dry and burning for a drink. Then imagine someone placing a sweet smelling drink right in front of you. It is so enticing and just looking at it makes your throat hurt. It is right there in front of you. Would you take it? Of course you would. The need is unbearable. For me, it is worse. Without having that blood, it feels as if I am not going to survive an hour, let alone a minute."

"So it is . . . very difficult to have the drink in front of you."

"Yes. Even when I am not thirsty."

"Oh. So there is more than one reason why it would be easier if I was a vampire," she stated. He nodded. "Then why haven't you ordered me to stay away, so your throat doesn't burn."

"Honestly, the burn is worth it. While the scent of your blood is enticing, your skin smells . . . absolutely _delicious._ There have been times when I have almost _licked_ your skin," he admitted. It made Jazmin blush. Lick her skin? That sounded . . . appealing. She wondered how that would feel. As she thought about that, she didn't realize that it had been several minutes. "Are you . . . _thinking_ about it?"

"No!" she replied - too quickly. A small smirk appeared on his face. Her blush darkened as she closed her eyes tightly. "I wasn't. I _was not_!" In surprise, she opened her eyes when she felt his face close to her neck. His tongue trailed over her neck and it was surprising how good it felt. She tilted her head to the side without thinking. Gaara placed his hand on the back of her neck and pressed his lips to it. With his tongue, lips and teeth, he assaulted her neck. He licked, sucked, and nipped her neck.

Jazmin sighed, liking the feeling that came with his actions. His other hand encouraged her hand to rest on his shoulder. He brought her body tight against him. Then, suddenly, he pushed her away. When she came out of her daze, she saw he was a few feet away from her. "I apologize. That was . . . out of line," he said in a hoarse voice. Jazmin realized that his actions had been close to breaking his control.

"That was . . ." she trailed off. He was staring at her. Shaking her head, she decided not to say what she was thinking. _That was . . . good._ "I probably should go."

"I am under control now," he insisted. She looked at him. It looked as if he wanted her to stay. "You know, we have always remained _outside_. I know you really like my mansion. Perhaps you would like to see it," he suggested. She would love to, but there was one thing that worried her, which he seemed to pick up on. "Those rooms no longer exist. They have been destroyed and that part of the mansion underground is blocked off permanently."

"Really?" she asked him in an unsure voice. He stepped close to her.

"Really. I promise that there are no more . . . _rooms_ like that," he brushed his fingertips across her arm. "Everything I used was destroyed too."

"Okay. Can I . . . see the mansion? All of it?"

"Yes, you can. All of it."


	9. Chapter 9: Family History

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Nine  
Family History

Inside, the mansion was even more beautiful. Throughout the entire day, he showed her as much of the mansion as he could. When nighttime came, she walked towards the east entrance. Jazmin turned her head to look over her shoulder as soon as she had approached the door. "You feed every night, don't you?" she noticed how his expression darkened.

"Yes. However, I do not feed from humans every time," he replied. It made sense to her. He was a very thirsty demon and vampire. She reached for the handle; his hand covered hers. "I ask you stay inside and keep every window and door locked." Jazmin nodded and walked through the door.

Her mother was very unhappy when she arrived home. "Jazmin! I am tired of you disappearing without telling me where you have been! Now I don't blame you for your kidnapping, but the second time! You were gone for three days and you didn't even bother to explain where you were! I'm beginning to think that I should send you to your aunt's!" Chiyo yelled. She had a very serious and angry expression on her face. Jazmin glared at her mother. She would not be sent away.

"I will not leave! This is my home! And why should I tell you where I go every second of every day? I'm seventeen years old!" she yelled back. Chiyo rolled her eyes, angrily.

"Jazmin, you are not yet old enough to make your own decisions! I am your mother and you will listen to me! I heard from some residents that you are almost always outside the Sabaku mansion! I thought I told you to stay away from there!"

"Mother!"

"That's it! I'm sending you to your aunt in Amaranth!" Chiyo picked up the phone. "Obviously, Bonsai is not a place for you to live."

"No! Mother!" she screamed, but it was too late. Her mother was already on the phone with her aunt Cho. She would be leaving.

* * *

"Naruto! Sakura!" Jazmin yelled as the two approached. She was being forced into a car by a friend of her mother. Naruto pulled the man off of Jazmin and stepped in front of her protectively. Sakura stood beside him.

"What the hell is going on!" he growled. Jazmin looked over his shoulder.

"My mother is trying to send me away! I can't leave! I don't want to leave!" she cried. The tears did not roll down her cheeks. They remained in her eyes, impairing her vision.

"Get out of the way, kid," the man said in an irritated voice. "I have to get her into that car so her mother can drive her to her aunt's."

There was fighting, but Jazmin ended up in the car on her way to her aunt's house. Now, she didn't have anything against Cho; she just found the woman strange. And her cousin, Alex, perfect, flawless, gorgeous, Alex, was very kind to Jazmin. However, standing next to Alex made her feel average.

Amaranth was a slightly large town filled with rich residents. Every house was a mansion and every resident owned expensive possessions. All around her, there were elegant buildings and decorations. It was a place without murders. People walked outside looking cheerful, but Jazmin felt no cheer. This was not home.

Chiyo left her daughter at the front steps. She drove off without waiting - or even saying - for a goodbye. Jazmin walked up the steps slowly, approaching the front door. Her hand was raised and she was preparing to knock. But she did not have to. Seconds before she did, the door was pulled open. And there stood her aunt Cho with her long slightly curly dark green - yes, green - hair. In her matching green eyes was excitement and joy. Pale skin, light pink blush, red eye shadow, eyeliner, and red lips. That was her aunt. "Jazmin!" she cried out and threw her arms around the suddenly guilt ridden girl. She used to visit her aunt often, but stopped when she turned fourteen. Her aunt had been so strange. However, she was very kind. A silver leaf with a gold spine clip was in her hair and around her neck was a strange looking gold pendant - a variation of how people drew the sun. "I have missed you so much!"

"I have missed you too, Aunt Cho," Jazmin mumbled. The thirty-eight year old woman didn't look like she had aged much since the last time she saw her when she was thirty-five. Even then, Cho had looked like she was only twenty years old. Cho grabbed a few of Jazmin's bags and let her into the mansion. Inside, two girls were waiting. One of them Jazmin knew as Alex, her cousin. Long flowing purple hair, matching dark pink eyes, pale pink lips, pale skin, light red blush, white eye shadow, eyeliner; Alex.

The other girl had long light blue hair, blue eyes, pale skin, pink lips, and was wearing blue eye shadow and black eyeliner. Both girls wore the same necklace and silver leaf clip as Cho. They were smiling at Jazmin, but she could not return the gesture. "Jazmin, you remember Alex! Well, of course you do; her eyes are a dead giveaway of who she is!" Cho spoke lightly. "I don't believe you ever met Taylor, though. She was always with your aunt Ellen. She came to live here shortly after you stopped visiting."

"Hello," Taylor said in a quiet voice. It was obvious that she was a shy person. Alex was outgoing, quite vocal, and very confident about her appearance. Jazmin had a feeling that Taylor was the opposite of Alex. Lovely.

"Hi." Cho brought Jazmin to a large bedroom with a bed, desk, dresser, vanity, night tables, television, couch, chairs, computer, and phone. There was a door to a bathroom and a walk in closet. She was left to unpack. As Jazmin placed her clothes where they should go, she thought about how things would happen in this town. How would she be with her aunt and cousin's? Cousins; Taylor. Jazmin thought about Taylor's mother; Aunt Ellen. Ellen had been an unkind woman to her and her own children. The most important thing to her was beauty. She would do anything - _anything_ - to keep her beauty. She was also very old-fashioned. Jazmin never liked her.

When she was unpacked, she walked to the kitchen, where her aunt and cousins were preparing dinner. Their rooms were on the second floor while hers was on the first. On the third floor were a library, exercise room, another living room, game room, and a large balcony. The fourth floor had quite a few rooms, but Jazmin did not know what they were for. Cho brightened up when she saw Jazmin. "Jazmin, dear! Have you gotten everything put away?" she asked in a bright voice that matched her eyes.

"Yes." She watched as they prepared dinner; she didn't want to get in the way. Conversation flitted between the three, but Jazmin remained quiet. It had been a while since she had seen Cho and Alex. After what seemed like half an hour, Alex turned to Jazmin.

"I probably should give you a heads up. My boyfriend is coming for dinner," she told the younger girl. Alex was twenty years old and _very_ beautiful. Jazmin nodded, signaling that she had heard her cousin's heads up. No one else spoke to Jazmin. She didn't want to talk.

Jazmin met Alex's boyfriend, Lee. Jet black hair, dark - almost black - eyes, somewhat pale skin, round face, and athletic build was what made up Lee. He was cute and it was obvious by the way he looked at Alex that he liked her very much - if not loved her. But Jazmin noticed something. Alex did not appear to look at him the same way. This boy was just a boy to her. Jazmin felt sympathy for the boy.

Taylor did not have a boyfriend, but there was a boy she liked. He was sixteen year old Sarutobi Konohamaru.

She was silent. Everything was wrong. Nothing was what her life should be like. Jazmin should be back in Bonsai with Naruto and Sakura. The little bit of happiness she once had disappeared and her mouth became a permanent frown, her eyes devoid of any emotion. _Goodbye happiness._

_

* * *

_

_Two months later_ . . . Everything had become a routine for Jazmin. Her aunt and cousins tried their best to lift her from that depression, but it seemed impossible. Cho finally decided that there were no more secrets and she would tell Jazmin the biggest secret of the family. "Jazmin," she said as she sat the girl down for a talk. "I, my daughter, and my niece are witches. For years I have been helping your cousins discover and refine their powers." For the first time in two months, emotion flickered across Jazmin's face. Surprise.

"Witches?" she asked robotically. It just came out, without her even deciding to speak. Cho nodded; a confirmation.

"You are as well, dear."

Jazmin took the chance to ask. "Is there an Edward in our family?"

"Yes. Atlontic Edward, age twenty-five when he was turned into a vampire by Cobev in 1040. He was the most powerful sorcerer in our family. Hmm, why don't I start from the beginning?" she asked in a faraway tone.

"I'm listening," Jazmin told her and she smiled.

"Alright. In 0115, Cobev was born. No one in her family was a witch or sorcerer, but she was a part of a family of vampires. When vampires have children - it is possible - their child is born human. It is unknown why or how this happens. Anyway, when Cobev learned her family was a gang of vampires, she ran away. Her intent was to escape what she thought was eternal damnation. However, when she was thirty-six years old, she was turned into a vampire. For many years, she lived alone. Until 1038, that is. Twenty-three year old Edward had fallen in love with her and by twenty-five, he was a vampire. Two years after that, they had their first child, Mina. She was human and Cobev waited until she was twenty-one to change her. Mina did not inherit Edward's sorcerer powers.

"1195 was when their second child Jazz was born. She was the one who inherited the powers of her father. Once again, Cobev would wait until her child was twenty-one before changing her. But Jazz met a demonic man. He was uncontrollable and dangerous. At first, she was different to him. However, his control broke during one of his times with her. He killed her by slitting her throat with his dull fingernails. It was said that when he did, he whispered in her ear, 'I am so sorry, my love.' But no one really knows if that is true or not.

"Mina was the only one who attacked him. She was killed, but not before she was able to bite him. He killed her and drank her blood to avoid death. Edward was angry as well and used a spell to trap him on the property. However, the man had to feed, so he let him out only at night. Only someone as strong as Edward would be able to break that spell. Speaking of which, I sense that you might be as strong as him.

"Anyway, at some point, Edward and Cobev had more children, who had children, who had children and after many, many years. I and my sisters were born, and then you kids were born. A few of us were even burned, hung, and executed other ways, during the witch trials," Cho finished. Jazmin was surprised that Gaara was in the story, though it made sense. It was a somewhat normal family story. She decided to speak.

"The man . . . was his name . . . Gaara?" she asked, unsure of what Cho's reaction would be. Cho stiffened and her eyes blazed.

"Never . . . speak . . . his . . . name!" she hissed. "Poison! The name is poison to this world!" Jazmin's eyes widened. What if her aunt knew of her time spent with him? She shivered. She didn't even want to think of what her reaction would be then.

"Sorry," she murmured and looked at the ground. Cho relaxed.

"It's alright. You didn't know," she sighed. "There will be a day when we rid the world of him." It was strange. Jazmin suddenly panicked. Rid the world of Gaara? That would mean there would be a war. She didn't like that idea.

"Aunt Cho, that sounds really dangerous," Jazmin said uncertainly. Cho bristled.

"We are perfectly capable of killing him! And after I am done training you, our odds will be greater." Jazmin didn't like the sound of that. She didn't like the idea of killing Gaara. For a moment, she wondered why. But she concluded that it must be because she was afraid of them dying. "Well, let us start now."

* * *

Another month passed by and couldn't believe what had come with being a witch. There was a lot she hadn't expected and a lot that was very strange. Cho even believed that Jazmin had Edward's blood; she was a very talented witch. But Jazmin still wasn't happy. She missed her friends. And she was afraid that Naruto might have changed Sakura while she was away. Just the thought of her two closest friends leaving her, hurt.

Cho deemed the training of Jazmin through, something Jazmin couldn't believe. "The rest is up to you to learn," she had told her. _Lovely_, Jazmin thought. She began to think about something else. She wasn't bound to Amaranth, right? She walked up to Cho one morning and placed her hands on the counter of the island in the kitchen.

"I want to visit my friends in Bonsai."


	10. Chapter 10: In Love

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Ten  
In Love

"Sakura!" Jazmin cried as she threw her arms around the pink haired girl. She hadn't changed at all. "I thought you wouldn't be here! I'm so glad to see you!" Sakura laughed and hugged the joyous girl back.

"Of course I'm still here. I still have to finish high school," she told the girl as if it was ridiculous to think she was gone. "I've missed you, Jaz. How are you?"

"I'm okay. I've missed you guys," Jazmin replied in a sad voice. However, she perked up. "But . . . I found out that I am a witch." Sakura smiled widely.

"Are you serious? That's awesome!" she gushed. "How'd you find out?"

"My aunt told me."

"Wow. I never would have expected," Sakura looked amazed. Then her expression became serious. "Naruto told me that . . . Gaara has been very irritable." Jazmin was shocked. He was irritable?

"Why?"

"Because he couldn't find you. You were gone and it was absolutely driving him crazy," Sakura explained. She wrinkled her nose. "Naruto believes he is . . . becoming . . . very connected to you. Jazmin, it's too dangerous for you to be around him. You know what happened to Jazz."

"How do you know about that?" she asked in an angry voice.

"Naruto told me."

"What else did he tell you?"

"That Gaara just wants you to break the spell of the property. He wants you for nothing else," she spoke uncertainly. Jazmin froze. Why hadn't she come to that conclusion herself? _Only someone as strong as Edward would be able to break that spell. Speaking of which, I sense that you might be as strong as him. _The words ran through her mind and she clenched her teeth. Without saying another word to Sakura, she walked towards the property. Right through the east entrance she went.

"Where have you been?" he asked, appearing in front of her. The anger remained, even though his face looked kind and curious.

"Hell," she said through clenched teeth. "Do you really think that I can break the spell Edward set! Do you really think I would want to! How dare you! How dare you even think about using me!" He stepped close to her and pushed her against the wall.

"I am absolutely insulted," he breathed against her lips. "I have done quite a bit for you. Saved you from those werewolves, saved you from becoming a vampire, and showed you my mansion."

"That could be the whole plan. Be nice and hope I will give you what you want in return," she mumbled. Gaara ran his fingers over her neck.

"No. I do not want you to break the spell. I love it here. The mansion is the only place I will ever want to stay," he explained, lowering his lips to her cheek. He wrapped his arms around her torso, crushing her gently against his chest. "I missed you."

Jazmin sighed. "No you didn't. You missed my scent."

"Mm, that is both true and untrue. I did miss your scent," he inhaled deeply. "But I missed you as well. You are the only person who visits me. Naruto, however, has been visiting me quite a bit. Though it has to do with you. He is concerned about your safety."

"Stop."

"Why?"

"Because it's wrong."

"I do not care."

"I do!" she said firmly, pushing his body with her hands. In a flash, he was a few feet away glaring at the ground. Jazmin was afraid she had angered him.

"If you cared, you would not have come here so many times! You would not have let me touch you! You would have _stayed away_!" he growled. She flinched. He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. After a few moments, he opened them again. "Leave. Do not come back." She stared at him for a minute before turning away.

"Fine."

"You are going to listen?"

"Yes."

"I . . . hoped you would not." The tone of his voice surprised her. She turned to look at him. Courageously, she walked up to him and raised her hand. _Dangerous, dangerous, dangerous!_ The words repeated. _Don't do it! Don't do it! _But she did. Her hand was on the back of his neck - only the second time she had touched him. She pulled his face down to hers. There was no resistance from him. Their lips touched; Gaara had his hands on her back, pulling her close. His lips were cold, hers were warm. It was strange. The way it felt to have his lips on hers and his arms around her. Though it was dangerous, it was . . . nice.

He moved away from her. "That . . . was . . . dangerous," he murmured.

"I know."

"And yet, you do it. Testing my control?"

"No. I wasn't planning on testing your control. I just . . ."

"Really wanted to kiss me."

"I guess there's no reason to deny it," she mumbled sheepishly. Gaara sighed and stepped close to her once again.

"It is so difficult, yet so worth it," he also mumbled. His fingers traced her spine softly, making her shiver.

"Is it now?" she tried to ignore the fact that his body was pressed against hers and his fingers were traveling up and down her spine. It became harder to ignore that he was so close to her when his forehead rested on her shoulder.

"Mm-hmm," he let one of his hands travel up to her hair. She stood still, keeping her hands away from his body. He moved his head so he could gaze at her. "You will not touch me. Is it because I disgust you?"

"I kiss you and you ask if you disgust me?" she raised her hands to his chest. "You know, I'll be leaving again. I'll be going back to my aunt's house." His arms wrapped around her tightly.

"No. I will not let you leave." The way he spoke made fear pulse through her. "Why are reacting in fear? I will _never_ hurt you."

"I don't mean much to you. All you want is the scent of my blood if not the blood itself," she sighed. "My aunt said . . . that your name was poison to this world. She wants to rid this world of you."

"To hear you say that you do not mean much to me, actually hurts. I do not want your blood. Yes, it tastes . . . _delicious_. But I want you. You mean quite a bit to me." His grip tightened. "Do you believe that my name is poison to this world? Do you want to get rid of me?"

"I don't believe that it hurt you. As for your name being poison; it is for my aunt. I don't want to get rid of you. I don't like the idea of my aunt and cousins trying to kill you."

"It did hurt me. I do not want you to believe that you are nothing but a blood filled human to me. That is not the case. You are much more to me than that," his lips moved up her jaw line to her ear. "I want you to stay."

"I can't."

"I will not let you leave."

"You have no choice."

"I suppose I will have to take you as my prisoner," he murmured, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder. Within seconds they were inside his mansion. She punched his back, but it had no effect on him. He brought her back to his bedroom.

"Gaara, I cannot stay here," she mumbled, but she didn't make a move to run when he placed her on his bed.

"I am not letting you leave. Not again." A loud crashing sound came from the hallway. Gaara snarled. "That wolf is starting to piss me off!" Jazmin looked towards the door and sure enough, there he was baring his teeth.

"No!" she cried when he jumped towards Gaara. Gaara grabbed her and jumped out of the way. Kiba did not give up. He lunged at Gaara again. Jazmin was thrown across the room as Gaara jumped the opposite way. She stared in horror as again and again Kiba jumped at Gaara. Only when his teeth were about to bite into Gaara's chest did she move. She stretched her right arm outward with her fingertips pointing towards Kiba. "Stop! _Now_!" To her surprise, Kiba was sent flying away from Gaara. He turned towards her in surprise. "If you hurt him, I'll never forgive you! I'll hate you forever!"

A growl left his throat. Jazmin glared and stood up straight. "Leave! Now!" she commanded. When he didn't listen, she clenched her fists. "I said _leave_!" Some strange force traveled from her to Kiba and hit him roughly. With one last breath, he was gone. Gaara was at her side in a second, his hands touching hers gently.

"You are strong. And forceful."

"My aunt taught me," she said turning to him. Daringly, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and rested her head in the crook of his neck. His arms wrapped around her and he placed his face in her hair.

"Don't go," he mumbled into her hair.

"Hey, you said 'don't' instead of 'do not,'" she pointed out. "That's the first time I've heard you say a contraction."

"I am most vulnerable when I am with you," he murmured. "You speak with contractions and I have probably gotten used to it."

"Perhaps that's a bad thing."

"No. It is not," he ran his lips over her hair. "The way you make me feel is worth the vulnerability. If you stay, I will give you everything that you want."

"What if it's love that I want, Gaara? What if I am in love and I want to be loved back?" she asked. He pulled himself from her.

"Are you in love?"

"Yes."

"With who?"

"I'm in love with _you_, Gaara." Jazmin stared at him, waiting for him to respond. "I will happily be your prisoner." Something flashed in his eyes, but she didn't have time to think about what it was, for he was pulling her into his arms and kissing her deeply.

When they parted, he whispered in her ear, "I will - and can - give you _everything _that you want."

* * *

"How long are you staying, Jaz?" Sakura asked the girl as they walked through the clothing store. Jazmin glanced at the pinked haired girl before smiling. "What? Why are you smiling?"

"I'm not leaving. I don't care what my mom says. I can legally separate myself from her." Just talking about it made her excited. She could stay in the town she loved so much, where all her friends were.

"Really? I hate to hear that you have to do so to stay here, but I'm happy you can stay here. Um, have you talked to Kiba recently?"

"Nope."

"No?"

"I don't want to. I don't even want to see him. My loyalty is to my vampire and friends," she smiled and hugged her friend.

"Really? Hmm. Did you talk to Gaara?"

"I did."

"And?"

"Sakura," Jazmin turned to her with a pained look on her face. "I know you hate him, but . . . never mind."

"You love him."

"What! How the _hell_?" she looked at Sakura with a surprised look on her face. She was even more shocked when Sakura smiled.

"Jaz, I am in love you know and I know what that gleam is in your eyes is. I don't approve of who you chose, but I have to respect that," she sighed and pulled a shirt off of a rack. "I asked Naruto to tell me the story of Gaara. Do you know how many people in total he tortured and murdered in his entire life?" Jazmin shook her head. "Thirty-four thousand seven hundred sixty-three people."

"Wow," she breathed.

"Are you sure you want to be with _Gaara_?"

Jazmin had to think for a moment. Gaara would live forever, so they were sure to be separated. And Sakura would become a vampire after she finished school. Jazmin couldn't forget about Lucida and Haki. They wouldn't leave her alone until she was a vampire herself; or dead. "I would like to be with him, but I know that I would not be able to stay with him for the rest of my life. He does not age and I do. And even though I know that there is a way to be with him forever, I cannot imagine becoming a vampire. I couldn't become one without hearing him say, "I love you." If he can never say those words, I can't stay with him forever." The two had walked from the store and to an abandoned area in the local park.

Sakura smiled weakly. "I know the thought of becoming a vampire is unappealing to you, but if you really want to stay with Gaara, it's the only possible way to do so. If you wait for him to say "I love you," you'll be ninety and it'll be too late."

"Do you not believe that Gaara can love?"

"I'm just afraid that he's using you. I don't want you hurt," Sakura sighed and looked up as Naruto walked towards them. A large smile appeared on the pink haired girl as the boy she loved wrapped his arms around her and spun her. He placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Jazmin felt a pang of jealousy. Would she ever have that? Naruto turned to her.

"Gaara told me that you said you wanted to stay where he was," he stated. Jazmin looked down and nodded. "If you really want him, Jaz, all you have to do is say those three words to him and he's yours." She looked up at him with a shock filled expression.

"You're not mad?"

Naruto laughed. "Mad? Why would I be mad? You are in love. It's very normal for you to fall in love."

"But I'm in love with Gaara."

"I know that he is very much in love with you, but he's too afraid to say it."

"He's . . . afraid?"

"Yes. Jaz, he is afraid to tell you then lose you. He's even more afraid that he'll hurt you himself."

"I'm only afraid that he'll be thinking of . . . Jazz when he's with me," Jazmin mumbled and looked away from Naruto. His hand brushed over her arm.

"His thoughts are always about you. When he is with you, you are the only one who fills his head. I know for a fact that he sees you as a completely different person and he has even said he no longer sees Jazz. It's you and only you," Naruto smiled kindly and encouragingly. "Tell him. He's all yours."

* * *

Jazmin stood outside of the east entrance of the Sabaku mansion, thinking. _"He's all yours." _The words ran through her head, but she couldn't bring up the courage to actually walk through the door and mutter those three words to Gaara. The streets were empty and she knew the door was unlocked. "Jazmin," his voice sounded through the door. The sun was still high in the sky, meaning he could not walk outside of the walls yet. She didn't reply, but he knew she was there. "Do not stand out there. Come in here." Jazmin did not walk through the door. Instead, she sat down and leant against it. She heard him groan. "Do you not know how much it tortures me to have you so close, but I cannot touch you?"

"Gaara . . . If I told you I wanted to spend forever with you, what would you say? Would you want me around? Or would you grow bored of me?" she asked quietly, but he could hear her. His ears were sensitive; it came with the change.

"If you told me that you wanted to spend forever with me, I would say that I want to spend forever with you as well. I will always want you around and I will never grow bored of you," his reply was firm and his words came out strong. Jazmin stood and pushed the door open. He was waiting for her. His hands were on her face as he lowered his lips towards hers. Shock flickered across his face when she pushed him back. After the shock went away, hurt and confusion appeared. "What have I done wrong?"

"Nothing. I just realized that you're a vampire and I'm a human," she murmured. How was she to explain this to him? "I cannot stay with you forever. It's just not possible. There is so much that is stacked against us." Gaara wrapped his arms around her and rested his head in the crook of her neck.

"Don't leave me," he whispered into her ear. Jazmin's hands grabbed the back of his shirt. "I . . . I love you." It was those three words that she wanted to hear from him. But it wasn't as if she had been telling him goodbye. She didn't want to say goodbye to him.

"I wasn't saying goodbye, Gaara," she mumbled. He moved away slightly so he could look her in the eyes. "No, I don't want to say goodbye; _ever_." She stared at him until he realized what she meant.

"Does that mean . . . you are willing to become . . . a vampire?" he had to ask; just to be sure. Jazmin smiled and pulled his lips down to hers. There was no reluctance from her, which made Gaara even more certain of himself. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, lifting her from the ground slightly. When they parted, Jazmin was surprised when he remained so close to her. It must have been difficult to be so close to her, though, with the scent of her blood strong in his nose.

"I . . . I am afraid of becoming a vampire, but I know that you will be with me. And I have my family; Sakura and Naruto."

"What about your aunt, cousins, and mother?" he brushed his fingertips across her cheek. Jazmin grimaced.

"My mother sent me away, even when I begged her not to. I won't be sad to say goodbye to her. As for my aunt, she wants to rid the world of the man that I love; she is caught up in a life of revenge. It will bring her no happiness. And my cousins, well . . . I haven't really connected to either of them."

"You will have no problem saying goodbye to your life now and welcoming a life with me, as a vampire?"

"Nope. I want to be with you. You are . . . you've stolen my heart."

"You realize that I will never let you go now that I have you, right?"

Jazmin smiled. "Good. I don't want you to ever let me go. I love you."

"And I love you."


	11. Chapter 11: Dark Fantasy

**DEMONS**  
Chapter Eleven  
Dark Fantasy

Temari carefully placed the ill dog back in its cage. After taking the needed blood from the dog, she cleaned up. It was late in the night, so she was the only one in the animal hospital. Or, she thought she was the only one. Footsteps came from the hallway heading towards her. Temari quickly spun around and tried to hide the evidence that she had taken blood from the ill dog. The very girl she tried to keep from - for he would hurt her - came into the room with her. "Temari," Jazmin spoke in a flat tone. She stared at the older woman. "What are you doing? I'm sure your shift has ended already."

"Well, Miss Caen, I am making sure the animals are doing okay. Is that alright with you?" Temari watched as Jazmin's eyes narrowed.

"It would be alright with me _if_ that's what you were actually doing," she walked completely into the room and examined the table behind Temari. Panic pulsed through Temari.

"I can explain."

"You don't have to. I already know what's going on. And I must say that it sounds disgusting. Animal blood instead of human blood?"

"You know?"

"Yes."

"Did my brother tell you?"

"Which one?"

"God damn it! Gaara told you! That is absolutely unacceptable!" Temari growled, but Jazmin didn't flinch.

"I thought you would greet Jazmin kindly, but instead you are being rude," the voice of her brother came from the shadows. He stepped out of the shadows to stand next to Jazmin. Temari stiffened and was sure he was there to punish her for something.

"I'm sorry, Gaara. I was just caught off guard. What is it . . . that you are here for?"

"I am here to discuss with you the length of time you will remain in this town. And to formally introduce you to my fiancée since she has decided to come with me," he wrapped his arm around Jazmin's waist, which shocked Temari.

"She's your _fiancée_?"

"Yes. Temari, you are risking your secret by using the animal hospital as a way to gain blood. They are starting to notice. Either leave or stop taking blood from the animals," he picked up the vials of blood and examined them closely. "This is a lot of blood from an ill animal. As a veterinarian I am sure you are aware that taking this much blood from the animal could _kill_ it."

"I can't leave, Gaara."

"Then stop taking blood from the animals."

"You know that I need blood to survive. And I won't kill humans for blood. Unlike you, I have a heart."

Jazmin glared at Temari. "He has a heart. If you were like an older sister should be, you would see that."

"You better watch your tongue, girl! I won't put up with your comments!" Temari growled. Gaara's snarl was even more menacing than hers and it made Jazmin quiver.

"Yes, you will. If you so much as lay a single finger on her, I will _tear you to pieces_!" his teeth were bared. Temari cowered and moved away from him. Jazmin was trembling and cowering as well. When Gaara saw Jazmin's fearful expression, he gently drew her into his arms. "Sorry. I did not mean to scare you." It was a sight Temari thought she would never see; her once evil brother, who hated humans, was now holding a human girl close in a loving manner.

"Is this the only reason you came to see me? To warn me that they are beginning to notice?" Temari asked, gaining her brother's attention again.

"No. Lucida and Haki are in town. They are planning to expose all the vampires in this town."

"It's the human's fault. If you would just get rid of her and take Lucida then none of us would be at risk." The look she received from Gaara made her take a step back. "I don't understand why she is so important to you. Is it because she looks like Jazz?"

"No."

"Gaara, I don't care about what happens to Jazmin; she means nothing to me. I won't risk my life for hers. Do you understand?" she gave him a small glare. He nodded and slowly walked towards her. With a flick of his wrist, he pushed all of the sick dog's blood onto the floor. Temari stared at him with wide eyes.

"If I lose Jazmin, you lose Cage. Do _you _understand?" his tone of voice made her nod furiously. Jazmin stared at Gaara with uncertain eyes. Looking at him, she could see an evil glint in his eyes. And behind that, was a hidden pleasure; he liked that Temari was afraid of him, liked that a simple action could frighten her. It bothered Jazmin.

Gaara pulled her from the animal hospital. The light from the street lamps lit up their surroundings. She glanced up at him. "Was there a reason you threatened her?"

"I will do anything to keep you safe," he spoke in a possessive tone. Jazmin couldn't help but feel unsettled by his tone. He paused and turned towards her. In a softer voice he said, "I love you."

"I saw a glint in your eyes, Gaara, and it wasn't pleasant," Jazmin sighed and pulled on his arm. He leaned towards her. She trailed her fingertips over his cheek.

"I apologize. Temari brings that side of me out." He sighed.

She started to walk again. "Forget I even said anything," she said. He pulled her back.

"You are having doubts." It wasn't a question. Jazmin couldn't say she wasn't; he would know she was lying. So she remained silent. He listened to her silence, as if her mind was replying, saying something that she couldn't say. "You are wondering whether or not I am truly what you want."

"No. You are what I want."

"But you are having doubts about what I can give you."

"No," she shook her head. Perhaps he couldn't read her this time. His expression twisted slightly; confusion.

"What is it that you doubt then?" he tilted his head to the side.

"Nothing." Jazmin was thankful that he couldn't read her doubts. She continued to walk towards Sakura's house; she was staying with her pink haired friend for now. Gaara stepped in front of her.

"You are lying. Tell me."

"No. Let it go."

"No."

"Leave it be, Gaara. I'm not going to tell you," Jazmin walked passed him and approached the short pathway to Sakura's house. Gaara grabbed her arm.

"If you do not tell me, I will just assume it is something horrible," he spoke in an irritated tone. She pulled from him and hurried up the steps. "Jazmin."

"You have the right to assume it's something horrible, because it is." She looked over her shoulder before quickly entering the house. Sakura and Naruto greeted her at the door. "Hey, guys."

"Are you okay?" Sakura asked. She earned a nod from her friend. Naruto stared at Jazmin with a troubled expression.

"You're having doubts already?"

Jazmin sighed. "Am I _that_ easy to read?"

"Yes. What are you having doubts about?"

"I doubt that he's changed, that he's no longer . . . evil." Jazmin walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. Naruto and Sakura followed her. A sigh left her troubled lips. "I saw this glint in his eyes when he looked at Temari. It was evil with hidden pleasure. He _liked_ that Temari was afraid of him."

"Temari - _and_ Kankurou - bring out that side of him. They abandoned him when they were turned into vampires. Even though they were his siblings, they didn't love him; they didn't help him. They didn't care about what happened to him. It has been hundreds and hundreds of years since someone's cared for him. It may be awhile before that side is completely gone." Naruto wrapped his arm around Sakura and sighed. "Jazmin, he loves you a lot and he is trying to keep away that side of him; trying to get rid of that side of him."

"Is he what you want, Jaz?" Sakura asked.

"Yes. I mean . . . of course," Jazmin looked at her feet. "I . . . I think so." That made her pause. She _thought_ so? "I love him."

"Is it because he's a vampire?" Naruto quietly asked.

"No. That doesn't bother me. I guess I don't believe that he really loves me," she sighed. "I can't be sure."

* * *

"Haki? Haki? Haki!" Lucida screamed his name when she saw him on the floor with a steel rod through his heart. He was already dead, but she didn't need him to tell her who attacked him. It was Gaara. That stupid human took his attention from her and now he killed Haki for threatening the human's life. Anger pulsed through Lucida; she wanted to make Gaara lose the human. He would be hers; no matter what it took. She picked up her cell phone and quickly dialed a phone number.

"Hello, this is the Dark Fantasy, how may I help you?" a male voice spoke on the other side.

"Hello. My name is Lucida and I need a man who speaks English to seduce a woman who belongs to another man."

* * *

"Please, Gaara, I'm not in the mood." Jazmin sighed, irritated by his presence. He withdrew from her and looked at the ground. She hadn't visited him at the mansion in a few days, so he had come to see her once nighttime began. But she wasn't happy to see him, like she usually was. Trying to shake off the feeling that was beginning to sneak up on him, he looked back up at her.

"What have I done?" his question made her pause, but she didn't look at him.

"Nothing. Go home, Gaara." This time he couldn't stop the pain from striking him. She was pushing him away already.

"You . . . do not want me?" the way he spoke, made her turn to look at him. "I apologize for frightening you, for showing that side of me, for being so persistent about what you did not want to tell me. I apologize. Please forgive me." Jazmin stared at him. He looked . . . desperate.

"Gaara," she sighed. "It's not that I don't want you, because I do; or that I'm mad at you, because I'm not. I . . . I'm just frustrated right now."

"With?"

"It's not that kind of frustration, Gaara," she mumbled, turning away from him. Her cheeks were tinted a slight red and he guessed why. He came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist; his lips rested just above her ear.

"Sexual frustration?" he whispered. She shook her head, but it wasn't convincing. His lips traveled over her neck and jaw line. In only a few moments, he had to force himself to pull away from her. "If I was not fighting the urge to take your blood, I could satisfy that frustration."

"That's why I haven't visited you in a while. I just need a little time," she sighed. "I'm going to visit my aunt. I'll be gone for a week or two."

"Why are you visiting her?"

"I have to talk to her about some things." She watched his expression change. He wasn't going to ask her what those things were. "Don't worry." Jazmin wrapped her arms around his shoulders. "I'll return loving you as much as I do now."

"I will miss you, Jazmin," he mumbled into her hair.

"I'll miss you too."

* * *

His hair was a dark brick red color and his eyes golden brown. His skin was pale, flawless, an ivory color. Some would say he was enchanting; tantalizing, even. What woman would refuse his hypnotizing stare and inviting smile? He was skilled in the art of seducing. There were women who couldn't help but stop and stare at him. They all wanted him, wanted him more than anybody they've ever wanted. But he had no time for any of them; he had a job to do. It would be simple, as usual. No human woman could refuse his charm and his looks. All he had to do was wait for the right moment to swoop in then he would completely blow her mind.

The town he was traveling to - Amaranth - was not far from the city in which he lived. He was not driving; he did not need a car. Running would get him there faster than a car. After all, he was one of the fastest creatures in the world. The only difficult thing about this job would be the witches that were connected to the woman he was to seduce. But they could not kill him easily, though they believed so. Their overconfidence, however, would cost them their lives.

Only moments after stepping into the town, he saw her. Beautiful, perfect, that's how he saw her. Her golden blond hair cascaded across her shoulders and her caramel colored skin glowed in the sunlight. Due to his strong sense of sight, he could see her bright blue eyes. He gracefully strode over to her. "Excuse me? Hello, my name is Sasori."

* * *

"Get the hell out of here, Lucida," Gaara growled. He grabbed her by the throat and threw her against the wall. "Without Haki, you are nothing."

Lucida bared her teeth. "You killed him! And I will make sure you pay for that!" she stood back up, not affected by him. He chuckled, grabbing her once he was close enough.

"It was never him you wanted. You were using him," he trailed his fingers over her throat. "Using him to accomplish your goals, because you want me. Only me. You want to taste me, feel me, and own me. The reason you hate Jazmin; because she can have me and you cannot."

"She's just a human. Sooner or later you'll see that she doesn't really love you. You'll see that her human heart doesn't belong to you."

"She loves me, unlike you," Gaara snarled, but inside, he was wavering. "All you want is my mansion."

"That is very untrue, Gaara. I want your _body_," she whispered, leaning up to run her lips over his ear. Growling, he slammed his fist into her stomach.

"Do not _ever_ touch me again!"


	12. Chapter 12: Sexual Frustration

**Thanks to xOxPiggyBridexOx for reviewing. I'm putting this chapter up a little early for you. Uh, there is a hint of a lemon.

* * *

**

**DEMONS  
**Chapter Twelve  
Sexual Frustration

Jazmin couldn't believe her eyes. The man who stood before her was Sasori, a famous actor. He had been in several movies - he has acted as a vampire, a detective, a killer, a professor, a doctor, a college student, and many other roles. Though Jazmin was in love with Gaara, she couldn't help but swoon at the sight of Sasori. It was many minutes later when she came to. Sasori was supporting her. "I apologize for making you faint," he spoke smoothly. Jazmin stared up into his hypnotic eyes. His lips were curved up into an inviting smile.

"Uh, it's not _your_ fault," she mumbled, sitting up. She moved away from the older man. They were outside of a small hotel. Jazmin noticed he was staring at her. "May I ask you what you are staring at?"

"You have the most enchanting eyes," he murmured in a sweet voice. Jazmin blushed. "You are very beautiful." She couldn't help it; she giggled.

"Thank you," she stood and tried to keep her eyes from meeting his. It was impossible for her to not feel giddy. After all, there was a famous actor in front of her and calling her beautiful. It seemed like it was years ago - when it was only a year - that she had been watching his movies and admiring him. Now he was right in front of her.

"I'm sorry. Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asked her. She was shuffling her feet and looking at anything - or anybody - besides him.

She shook her head. "No. I'm just nervous."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're a famous actor and I don't want to look like a crazy fan," she chuckled nervously, which made him smile.

"I'm not that different from you."

"Well, you're rich, incredibly attractive, and well-known; you have two houses and two cars. It's a wonder how you are still single," Jazmin muttered and stared at his chest, still avoiding eye contact.

"You are incredibly attractive." He placed two fingers underneath her chin and lifted her head; their eyes met again. His stare dazed her. "And I am still single because I haven't found a woman who wants me not for my money, but for me."

"That's all most care about these days, unfortunately. Sometimes I think it's better to have little money."

"I would have to say it probably is better. Not knowing whether or not someone is with you because they like you or your money."

"It's one of the downsides to being rich."

"How many downsides are there?"

"I'm not sure exactly."

"Hmm," he appeared to be deep in thought for a moment. Finally, he smiled again. "May I take you to dinner? I have not been in this town and I don't know what the good restaurants are." In the back of Jazmin's mind, she knew she should reject, but she didn't have the power to.

"Sure," she accepted with a small smile. "How about I meet you here in a few hours and show you where the best restaurant is?"

"Sounds lovely," he gave her a smile before bidding her a farewell and walking into the hotel. Jazmin hurried to her aunt's house. Cho had not changed in appearance at all. She was more determined than ever to kill Gaara. When she approached the front door of the house, the door was flung open.

"Jazmin, my dear! When your mother told me that you had legally separated yourself from her, I was worried you would not return!"

"I'm only here for a short time, Aunt Cho. And I'm sorry for just leaving and not returning without a word. I should have called."

"Do not fret over it. After all, what's done is done. I was afraid that Gaara had gotten to you," Cho pulled Jazmin into the house. She sighed. "I heard from a source that he has taken a liking to you."

"From who? What source?" Jazmin questioned.

"It doesn't matter," Cho shook her head. "We can use the fact, however, to our advantage. If you try to get close to him without causing suspicion, we can catch him off guard. It will be the downfall of him, trusting a human witch." Jazmin shook her head.

"No, Aunt Cho. I won't be involved in this."

"What! That is unacceptable!"

"I want a normal life, Aunt Cho; I don't want to try and avenge the death of an ancestor that lived millenniums ago. It's a waste of my young adult years," her words made Cho hiss.

"After I have taught you everything you know about being a witch, you should be following my plan to kill Gaara!" Cho was very angry, but Jazmin knew she would be. It was the reason she had traveled to Amaranth. She did not want to try to kill Gaara; she loved him.

"I'm sorry, but I will not be helping you." She stood and reached for the doorknob. Cho grabbed her arm.

"He's gotten to you! I can feel his energy on your arm! His energy is all around you! You've let him in! You are making a big mistake! He is only using you!" Cho spoke each word with venom. Jazmin yanked her arm from her aunt's grip.

"No matter what you say I am not going to help you."

* * *

Jazmin stood in front of the hotel she had met Sasori. She was waiting only a few minutes before he walked out of the doors. He smiled slightly and she was able to smile back because she kept telling herself that she was not being unfaithful. All she was doing was showing an actor where the best restaurant in town was. There was nothing wrong with having a guy friend. After all, she was friends with Naruto. "The Red Rose is the most popular restaurant, but it is expensive. So most only go there on special occasions."

"Well, it may not be a special occasion, but I can afford to treat you to a good dinner."

"I could never allow you to spend so much money on me," she mumbled and tried to refuse. Sasori, however, would not allow her to refuse.

"Just this once. Please allow me to spend my money on you. I asked you to dinner, I am willing to pay."

As they walked through the door to the restaurant, Jazmin knew it had been a mistake to accept Sasori's offer. The restaurant was a romantic one when two individuals were dining together. Still, even knowing that she _should_ have rejected, she could not bring herself to regret it. It was thrilling to be will him. The way he spoke to her, smiled at her, and gazed at her; thrilling. She wanted to know him; know who he was. The maitre d' almost had a heart attack when he saw the actor, Sasori. "Hello, sir! A table for two?" he asked in a respectful voice. Sasori nodded. "Would you like one of the private tables?" Sasori nodded again. That should have made Jazmin nervous, but she was still thrilled.

The two were left alone at a table that was surrounded with tall walls. It seemed as it was the only table in the restaurant. They each ordered a glass of the lemon flavored sparkling water. The menu wasn't large, so it didn't take long for them to decide what they wanted. It was only moments of ordering then they were alone again. Jazmin stared at the table, silent. "You know about me. I'm sure you have heard most things by articles. But I have not heard about you. I would like to," he ran his finger over her hand, making her look up at him. "Please; tell me about yourself."

Jazmin spoke about many things and she answered the questions he had. When the food came, it only hindered their conversation when their mouths were full. Once the food was gone, Jazmin felt embarrassed. She was silent as they left the restaurant and headed towards the hotel. "I feel obligated to tell you that I do have a boyfriend," she mumbled once they were in front of the hotel. Sasori stood in front of her, quiet for several moments.

"And I feel as if I must tell you, he is very lucky to have you. I hope he knows that," Sasori stared at her with intense eyes. She couldn't reply. Did Gaara consider himself lucky to have her? Thinking about it, she didn't know how Gaara felt about their relationship. All he ever really said was how he loved her, which wasn't proven. She couldn't say for sure that he loved her. "Does he not treat you the way he should?"

"He does," Jazmin replied, but she wasn't sure exactly. All the things he had done to her, all the times he had terrified her; how could she say for sure that he was treating her the way she should be treated? How should she be treated?

"If you're not sure how you should be treated, I would be perfectly willing to show you myself," Sasori offered in a slightly seductive tone.

Jazmin should have rejected immediately, but she said nothing. Instead, she focused on the feeling in the pit of her stomach. It was a twisting feeling that seemed to take over her entire stomach. She remained silent, interested; even when Sasori stepped close to her, she still kept silent. Most would say if Jazmin truly loved Gaara, she wouldn't have allowed Sasori to place his hands on her hips and push his body against hers. But she did love Gaara; whoever said she didn't would be wrong.

She wasn't sure what she was doing, exactly. What was she trying to discover? Sasori pushed Jazmin against the wall. She didn't refuse him when he pressed his lips against hers. It wasn't because Sasori was a famous actor; that meant little to her at the moment. She just couldn't refuse; she didn't have the power to. He was seducing her and even though she realized that he was, she wasn't able to push him away. As their bodies rubbed against each other's Jazmin's mind blurred; she was unable to think clearly. Why did he want her?

The seconds ticked by, quickly turning into minutes. She was in his hotel room. He moved her all around the room, moving her clothing as they went. He pushed her against the wall, removing her shirt. He placed her on the dresser, removing her pants. She trembled as he disposed of her bra then made his way to her underwear. It was strange how she couldn't stop herself - especially after he kissed down her stomach and then lower. He licked and sucked. The frustration she felt began to resurface again. "Too much sexual frustration is bad for you," Sasori whispered in her ear. She shivered as he moved his hips against hers. His clothes were gone; they had been abandoned. "I'll take care of that for you." Only when he thrust into her did she feel relieved. Finally.

* * *

Jazmin awoke feeling satisfied, but the guilt was stronger. Sasori was not in the room, so she quickly changed and hurried from the hotel. Disgust filled her being, along with guilt and pain. How could betray Gaara for one night of pleasure? Even worse; how would she tell Gaara? It would kill him. But she shouldn't - couldn't - keep this a secret from him. No matter what, she had to tell him. Naruto was waiting for her to drive her home; once again, guilt began to eat at her. He was going to take her home . . . to Gaara. She was silent, only stating that she was tired to avoid talking. During the drive, she was deep in her thoughts.

_Jazmin stared at him. His entire being was revealed to her. She couldn't help herself; her hands went touch his face. There was no way he was alive still. It had to be a dream - or a horrible nightmare. When her fingers met soft skin, she was convinced that he was in fact real, but not convinced that it was actually him. Her fingertips traced over his eyes, checking to see if the black around his eyes were indeed real. Next was the kanji, which was his mark, his unique look. Lastly, her hand ran through his hair. It was not a wig._

_She withdrew her hand only to have it pulled back by him. He pulled her wrist to his lips and felt the pulse with his lips. "You are unsure, are you not?" he asked against her wrist. She watched him carefully. His light turquoise colored eyes met hers as he waited for her to speak. "Jazmin."_

"_I . . . I am. I have spent my life admiring you and your mansion only to find out that you are a murderer," she told him in a disappointed voice. Slowly, she pulled her hand away and created a distance between them._

"_I did not kill because I wanted to, because I enjoyed it." He moved closer to her and didn't allow her to back away again._

"_Then why did you?"_

"_It was a means of survival. Like you have to eat food to survive, I have to drink blood. I am a demon and a vampire."_

He _was _a demon and he _was _a vampire, but he was _hers_. Jazmin only wished that their relationship wouldn't be destroyed. Why did she allow herself to be seduced? How could she do that to Gaara? _"His thoughts are always about you. When he is with you, you are the only one who fills his head. I know for a fact that he sees you as a completely different person and he has even said he no longer sees Jazz. It's you and only you," _Naruto had said to her._ "Tell him. He's all yours."_

_Mine. He's all mine, _she thought. _He won't be for long. He will send me away - if not kill me - when he finds out what I've done. _"Jazmin. Jazmin? Jaz!" Naruto cried out. Jazmin snapped out of her thoughts and looked at Naruto. He gave her a worried look. "We're here. Sakura's waiting inside to talk to you. She's very excited to have you home." He smiled. She tried to smile back, but it wouldn't come. "Are you okay?"

"For right now," Jazmin sighed and stepped out of the car. When she approached the front door, she paused and calmed herself. Hopefully Sakura would help her.


	13. Chapter 13: Break Up

**Thanks to 4gotten4good for reviewing.**

* * *

** DEMONS**  
Chapter Thirteen  
Break Up

The mansion looked menacing, unwelcome, even. It was bright out; the sun shone brightly over the property. Unlike most of the days, she stood by the front gates. Sakura had been very upset with Jazmin and wouldn't speak to her until she told Gaara. It hadn't helped Jazmin any. She was still so afraid of seeing Gaara. But she couldn't blame Sakura for judging her; hell, she judged herself. She needed encouragement, though; she needed someone to encourage her to tell Gaara. It was the right thing to do. Until she did, Sakura would not allow her in her house. It was what Sakura thought was what should be done.

Taking a deep breath, Jazmin walked towards the east entrance and pushed the door open. He was there, waiting for her, with open arms. Without wasting a second, he had her in his arms and his lips on hers. Jazmin pushed herself against him, kissing him passionately. She might as well make their last kiss worth it. When he pulled from her, he tilted his head to the side. "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Gaara. I wish I hadn't gone."

"Me too," he ran his lips over her neck. She had to push him away; otherwise, she would lose her nerve. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No. I have, Gaara."

"What do you mean?" he gave her a confused look. She looked at the ground; she couldn't bear to look at him now.

"I . . . I had sex, Gaara." She felt him move far away from her. When she looked up, he was standing a few feet away. His hands were clenched. "I'm sorry. So sorry. You have no idea how guilty I feel; how much I regret it."

"You had . . . sex." It wasn't a question. "H-how? How could you have sex with someone? I thought . . . I thought you loved me." He looked up and their eyes met. There were tears, actual tears, in his eyes. Jazmin's eyes widened.

"I do! I love you more than anything!"

"Then how could you have sex with someone else!" he growled. He was in front of her in a second, grabbing her throat and slamming her against the wall. "You never loved me! How could I be so foolish! A useless human girl like yourself, trying to gain my love!" His words cut Jazmin in two, but she knew she deserved it. She would keep her mouth shut and let him unleash his anger on her. She was surprised when his lips met her neck. She figured he was going to bite her, drink her blood, and kill her. But he merely kissed and sucked.

"Gaara," she gasped. He tore her shirt from her body and kissed down to her chest. Not even bothering to unclip it, he removed her bra. He paused, deliberating. Only a second was wasted; he pulled her towards the mansion. Everything around her moved quickly. It was only seconds; they were in his room and he was pushing her onto the bed. His shirt was discarded. Jazmin wanted to run her hands over his chest, but she was afraid to.

Gaara returned his lips to her chest, licking and sucking her breasts. She would have moaned if she weren't afraid to. Instead, she bit her lip and closed her eyes. _"A useless human girl like yourself, trying to gain my love!" _The words kept hitting her. She was useless and he didn't love her. The tears ran down her cheeks. He noticed and kissed them away. "I am better than him. I can make you scream."

"Please, Gaara. I'm so sorry. I love you and only you. Even if you see me as a useless human girl, I'll still love you," she took the chance and ran her hands over up his stomach, chest, and up to the sides of his neck. He didn't move away from her or try to stop her. It was silent. He said nothing; he stared at her silently. It was silent for several minutes. Jazmin dropped her hands and sighed. "Gaara."

"I am so . . . angry. I cannot help but imagine you in someone else's arms, gasping and moaning. Just thinking about it makes my heart burst," he lowered his lips to her cheek. "I could not satisfy your frustration. I sent you to the arms of someone else. But I am going to fix that."

Jazmin's eyes widened. "What? You haven't done anything wrong. I have."

"Jazmin, I am going to make you scream. I am going to make you feel so good, you will always think of me when you think of sex."

"I already do!" she exclaimed. Sitting up, she pushed herself against him and ran her hands through his hair. His eyes closed. "When I was frustrated, I kept thinking of you and me together. And when I was with . . . that guy . . . I was thinking of you. I was wishing you would touch me so intimately."

"I will. Right now." His hands moved to her back, pressing her even tighter against his body. Jazmin was no longer afraid of what he might do to her. He wouldn't purposely hurt her in any way. His reaction had been his way of trying to handle it. But the pain was something he wasn't used to.

Abruptly, his hands were torn from her. Jazmin covered her chest with her arms. "I refuse to let bloodsuckers take you like this!" a growl filled the room. It was obvious whom the voice belonged to. Kiba was the only person - besides Cho - who spoke that way. It was like her dream and she realized that she hadn't told him anything in her dream. He had caught her and Gaara. He was shaking uncontrollably. "Those monsters will not destroy you! I won't allow it!"

"Hey! Those are my friends you are talking about!" she growled. She grabbed a small silk robe that was beside the bed. For only a second, she wondered why such a small robe was by the bed. It obviously wasn't for Gaara. "I will not allow you to speak about them like that!" Kiba's expression faltered.

"Why? Why vampires? What is it about them that makes them so appealing to you?" he asked her. His expression was pleading. She knew what she wanted to say; it wasn't what she had said in her dream.

"They were my friends before I knew they were vampires," she replied. She saw his eyes glance at Gaara. "He's not what I thought him to be when I first learned about him being a vampire. He is different. And he won't hurt me."

"How about the time he almost killed you?"

"He was trying to save me!"

"What do you think makes you so special to him? After all his years alone, why _you_? It's probably because you look like Jazz!" his words cut her and she fell back. If that were true, she didn't know how she would handle it. Gaara snarled and grabbed Kiba from behind. His teeth were showing and he was roughly holding Kiba's neck.

"How dare you! How dare you hurt her!" Gaara dragged his teeth over Kiba's neck, drawing blood.

"Oh, I'm sorry. It's because you want her to break the spell."

"Shut up! Shut up, Kiba!" Jazmin screamed. Her fists were clenched. "You're only upset because I don't want you! I'm sorry, but you and I could never have been together - even if Gaara didn't exist still. You want to kill me so much that it's hard to control it. So shut your mouth with it comes to Gaara hurting me, because you could hurt me!"

"I'm not the evil one!"

"He's not evil."

"He killed and tortured people! He did it easily! He didn't care about anybody! All he cared about was the blood the people contained!"

"He's not like that anymore!"

"How do you know! Maybe he's the one behind all the disappearances that have been happening! Maybe he's the one killing the people and sucking the life right out of them!" Kiba growled. His eyes darkened and he started to shake.

"What are you talking about?" she demanded.

"Humans have been disappearing left and right. There's evidence that they may be somewhere in this mansion."

"Do not lie to her," Gaara tightened his grip on Kiba's neck. Kiba spun in his grip and kicked him back.

"You're the one who's lying to her! Why don't you show her around the mansion?"

"There is not a single thing in this house that she has not seen."

"Prove it."

"I have nothing to prove."

"If you show her around the mansion and prove that there isn't a single thing in this building that she hasn't seen, I'll leave."

Gaara narrowed his eyes, considering this "deal." It didn't seem horrible, especially since he had nothing to hide from Jazmin. "Fine." With his shirt discarded and Jazmin wearing only a robe to cover her torso, Gaara led them through the mansion. Room by room was searched, but nothing suspicious was in any of them. When they approached the final room, Gaara pushed the door open and folded his arms across his bare chest. Jazmin glanced into the room and gasped. Her hand flew to her mouth and she fled from them. Gaara, shocked, looked into the room. It had been completely transformed into a torture chamber. His eyes widened and he immediately went after Jazmin. Kiba had her in his arms as she cried against his chest. "Jazmin! I honestly do not know how they got there or how the room was changed. I would never lie to you. Have I lied to you in the past?"

She turned her head towards him. The tears ran down her eyes continuously. It made him want to embrace her. "N-no. But the girls are in there. That room is a torture chamber. How could a room change in your own mansion without you knowing?"

"I . . . I don't know," he mumbled. "I know I have done horrible things in the past, I know I was - am - a monster, but I would never do anything to upset you. I would never jeopardize our relationship. I love you."

"You love her! You're incapable of love!" Kiba growled.

"Maybe . . . you're right, Kiba," she murmured quietly, but Gaara heard her. He looked at her with a saddened expression.

"Jazmin . . . I asked you to marry me; I planned on spending forever with you," he stepped forward a few steps. Kiba snarled a warning. Gaara froze. "Please believe me when I say I love you. Believe me when I say that I have no idea how those girls got in my mansion or how that room changed."

"Until you know . . . I won't be around. Goodbye, Gaara," she pulled away from Kiba and ran towards the exit. Kiba followed her. Gaara did nothing but watch the two leave. Once again, he was ripped in two.

Months later . . . everything had changed. Sakura had been changed into a vampire by Naruto and moved away from Bonsai to learn how to control her thirst. Jazmin no longer lived in Bonsai; she lived in Amaranth. Gaara had ceased trying to contact her. And though she could admit to herself that her heart ached for him, she couldn't admit it out loud. It wasn't because she lived with her aunt; no, it was because she was too proud. She wondered whether her relationship with Gaara would ever be fixed. Or _could_ be fixed. Before Naruto and Sakura had left Bonsai, they told her that Gaara would not leave the mansion; he wouldn't even leave his room. "My dear, Jazmin," Cho spoke in a kind voice. "He has caused you much pain. I knew he was only using you."

"Aunt Cho, please. I don't want to do this right now," Jazmin sighed. Cho still didn't know that Jazmin loved Gaara. She stood and ignored her aunt. Perhaps what she needed was to get out and spend time with normal humans. TenTen, a girl only a year older than Jazmin, was now a close friend of hers. Her boyfriend, Hyuuga Neji, was almost like a big brother. There was also Alex's ex-boyfriend, Lee. He was still suffering slightly from the break up.

As Jazmin walked down the street, she spotted Lee in the distance. She ran up to him and smiled as well as she could. He shyly smiled back. "Hi, Min." He knew that Jazmin did not like being called Jaz. What he didn't know was why. It was because of Jazz and the fact that she was Gaara's ex. "How are you?"

"Okay," she shrugged. "I was thinking about dying my hair. What do you think?" The two of them walked down the familiar street not really heading anywhere specific.

"I like your blond hair."

"You do?"

"Yes. Most girls change their appearances; they dye their hair, wear layers of make-up, and wear contacts. What happened to natural appearances?" he glanced at her and she chuckled.

"I had no idea!" she said. "You like natural appearances. Which makes me wonder . . ." Why had he dated Alex? She died her hair purple and wore contacts to change her eye color. On her face was quite a bit of make-up. What about her had drawn him to her? Jazmin shook her head and glanced at him.

"You wonder about me and your cousin," he paused. "I honestly couldn't tell you how our relationship came to be. She lied so much it wasn't as if I was even dating _her_. I think she was draining me with all her lies."

"Well, Lee," Jazmin smiled. "It's time for a new start! For both of us! A breakup doesn't mean it's the end. It's the beginning. No matter how corny it sounds." She grabbed his arm and pulled him towards the tattoo shop.

"Where are we going?" Lee asked quietly. He allowed her to pull him and kept up with her easily.

"The tattoo shop. I'm getting a tattoo!"


End file.
